Dear Son or Daughter,

While it will take years to understand the events of the Civil Rights movement, it is my belief
that the importance of the civil rights era to American society is invaluable. It will be a critical
part of the identity of this great nation and in understanding future issues of race and class. The
power and value of civil rights is in the understanding of these events and what racism means in
America. The knowledge of this history is powerful and I hope it inspires a new generation of
activists in pursuit of social justice and equality. The United States in its inception promised
liberty and equality for all. It will be evident after this unit that the United States failed to protect
the rights and civil liberties of an entire population based on the color of their skin.
I hope you take this scrapbook and read in between the lines. Head the ghosts of the past and
understand that this is your history. In photos, poems, and posters you will see everyday people
fight for equality that while promised, had to be earned by protest. The rule of law is only worth
its weight in ink if enforced. We will look at the foundation of systematic and historical
subjection of the African-American population. Civil rights will not begin to materialize until
WWII where Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed executive order 9981 and made it illegal to
discriminate in the defense and arms industry. Without the nonviolent protests of Martin Luther
King Jr. we would not have the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and 1965 Voting Rights
Act.
I hope you will consider the long-term impact of the civil rights movement. Many of the liberties
and opportunities that they are afforded today would not be possible without the civil rights
movement. Minority rights expanded beyond African Americans because of this movement.
What is important to understand is that the federal government did not enact progressive
legislation on its own and that the civil rights movement in its core was a grassroots movement.
Fight always for your inalienable rights and never be silenced.

Sincerely yours,