PBS
The Color Purple
A clip from the documentary Alice Walker: Beauty in Truth features Walker discussing her writing process and why she chose to write The Color Purple as an epistolary novel. The resource is part of PBS' American Masters...
PBS
Gabrielle Union Discusses The Color Purple
Gabrielle Union discusses the role Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Color Purple, plays in her life. She stresses the importance of readers being able to find reflections of themselves in literature.
PBS
Ralph Ellison and the Black Arts Movement
The ideas of the leaders of the Black Arts Movement were in direct contrast to those of Ralph Ellison. A clip from the American Masters film Ralph Ellison: An American Journey clarifies these conflicts between Ellison and the younger...
PBS
Dr. Bledsoe: A Fictional Booker T. Washington
Many critics believe that the character of Dr. Bledsoe in Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man was modeled after Booker T. Washington. After watching a clip from the film Ralph Ellison: An American Journey about the Washington Bledsoe...
PBS
Invisible Man: The Trueblood Incident
How is the reader of Ralph's Ellison's Invisible Man supposed to react to "The Trueblood Incident" of Chapter 2? A short clip from the American Master film Ralph Ellison: An American Journey offers differing critical analyses from two...
PBS
Invisible Man: Battle Royal
A film reenactment of the "Battle Royal" scene in Chapter 1 of Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man offers readers a chance to compare the film version of the scene to the novel's depiction. The discussion questions ask readers to consider the...
PBS
Invisible Man: The Hero's Journey
The narrator of Invisible Man is on a quest, a quest to find out who he is and what his place is in a deeply divided American society. An episode from the American Masters series asks readers to consider Ralph Ellison's acclaimed novel...
PBS
Invisible Man: Plot Summary
Although labeled as a plot summary, this resource from the American Masters series is so much more. In addition to clips from the American Masters film, the packet contains teaching tips, discussion questions, a background reading, and...
National WWII Museum
United but Unequal
Minority groups were treated differently during WWII. Images and newsreel footage show the experiences of African-Americans, Native Americans, Japanese-Americans, and other ethnic minority groups during the war.
C-SPAN
On This Day: Emancipation Proclamation
While Abraham Lincoln is remembered for the Emancipation Proclamation, the document didn't actually free any peoples. Listening to scholars, learners explore its military purpose and how it helped turn the tide of the Civil War. They...
C-SPAN
On This Day: Barack Obama Becomes the First African American to Win a Presidential Election
The election of Barack Obama in 2008 was a watershed moment in African American and American history. Using clips from the acceptance and concession speeches, as well as the words of outgoing president, George H. W. Bush, budding...
C-SPAN
On This Day: Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott
Rosa Parks is considered a symbol of the American Civil Rights movement—but what about her story? A series of video clips examines her role in the movement, as well as her legacy. Scholars listen to historian Jeanne Theoharis discuss her...
National WWII Museum
What Would You Do? Scenario: Segregation
Young African American men at the start of World War II faced a dilemma: they could fight the racism of the Nazis but only by enlisting in a racist Army. Scholars consider this situation as they study the life of a man who in 1941 was...
TED-Ed
How One Journalist Risked Her Life to Hold Murderers Accountable
A short video on Ida B. Wells introduces viewers to the work of this fearless investigative journalist whose articles about lynchings focused the country's attention on countless murders of African Americans.
Homeschool Pop
Facts about Jackie Robinson for Kids
A short video spotlights Major League Baseball's first African American player, Jackie Robinson. Engaging photographs, fun graphics, and a clear narrator detail Robinson's life starting with his military background to his induction...
PBS
Black History Month | All About the Holidays
Kick off a celebration of Black History Month with a quick video. The narrator shares the history of the holiday and sheds light on famous African Americans such as Frederick Douglas, Harriet Tubman, George Washington Carver, and...
Scholastic
The Man Who Changed America
An informative video shares a quick history of Martin Luther King, Jr. The engaging narrator covers topics such as where and when MLK Jr. was born, what charged his passion, and good deeds he performed.
The Great War
Henry Johnson And The Harlem Hellfighters
Although Americans identify the concepts of democracy and freedom as the motivation for the country's entry into World War I, they often don't associate that period with racism and racial segregation. The 369th Infantry Regiment from...
PBS
Martin Luther King Day | All About the Holidays
Martin Luther King Day, a national holiday celebrated on the third Monday in January, is the focus of a short video that introduces young learners to the civil rights leader. The video provides a brief review of King's work and...
PBS
The Pilgrims: The Beaver Trade and Colonial New England
Strange but true. The demand for beaver hats saved the Pilgrims. Find out how with a resource that includes a background essay about the First Thanksgiving and a video about the Pilgrim business model.
TED-Ed
The History of African-American Social Dance
Just exactly what is social dancing? What does social dancing have to do with the African American community and African American history? The narrator of this short video explains how social dancing can support the culture of a...
Biography
Jesse Owens- Mini Biography
Discover how Jesse Owens paved the way for African American athletes as a track and field legend, while still challenged by the obstacles of a segregated American society during the mid-twentieth century.
Biography
Langston Hughes- Mini Biography
When delving into such writings as "I Too Sing America" or "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" by poet, novelist, and playwright Langston Hughes, don't forget to provide this important historical background information on the Harlem...
A&E Television
Rosa Parks: Mini Biography
Discover the fascinating story of Rosa Parks, including the realities of segregation she was forced to face throughout her life, her monumental role in sparking the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and her continued fight for social...