Profiles of Resistance

Research has shown that when individuals are exposed to the positive actions people from different backgrounds have engaged in, it can create feelings of positivity and acceptance in the person. With this in mind, we sought to shine a light on the efforts of often-overlooked Civil Right Activist. As critical history points out, historical narratives can often simplify complex social movements and the individuals who led them. It is not wrong to tell of Martin Luther King Jr and Rosa Park’s heroic efforts during the civil rights movement; the narrative is just incomplete.

Therefore, we compiled a diverse list of “resisters” — those who pushed back against systematic discrimination and oppression occurring in the United States. The individuals highlighted in our “Profiles of Resistance” stood up to injustice in big and small ways. While most people understand resistance in its more explicit forms, such as boycotts, we assert resistance as varied as the people who engage in it. While resistance can be as confrontational as a protest rally, it is also not conforming to the dominant, harmful ideologies laid out for you. For example, NASA scientist Katherine Johnson excelling in a space where she was told in implicit and explicit ways she did not belong is an act of resistance. Therefore, we chose resisters from the Civil Rights Era, who epitomizes what it means to take a stand for social justice in large and small ways. Instead of complying with social systems that perpetuate injustice, these chosen individuals illustrate how people can combat structural inequality in big and small ways.

There are currently 60 Profiles of Resistance (and growing!), and there are two categories of exemplars -— elementary (3-6) and secondary (7-12). Each profile is one page long and includes reflection questions on the actions of the resisters and how students can make changes in their own lives and communities. These profiles can be used as independent work for students to complete and/or built into larger lessons or units. Ultimately, we hope these not only pique a student’s interest in unsung heroes, but it also shines a light on the great efforts of those similar and different to them and encourages them to make changes in their own communities.

Below are a list of relevant learning standards.

VDOE

Social Studies

USII.1

The student will demonstrate skills for historical thinking, geographical analysis, economic decision making, and responsible citizenship by comparing and contrasting historical, cultural, and political perspectives in United States history

US11.9

The student will apply social science skills to understand the key domestic and international issues during the second half of the twentieth and early twenty-first century by examining the impact of the Civil Rights Movement, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the changing role of women on all Americans) analyzing how representative citizens have influenced America scientifically, culturally, academically, and economically

V.U.S.13

The student will apply social science skills to understand the social, political, and cultural movements and changes in the United States during the second half of the twentieth century by evaluating and explaining the impact of the Brown v. Board of Education decision, the roles of Thurgood Marshall and Oliver W. Hill, Sr., and how Virginia responded to the decision;) explaining how the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the 1963 March on Washington, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) had an impact on all Americans

Common Core Standards

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.1

Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.2

Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.3

Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect

Grade 4: Key Ideas and Details

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.1

Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.2

Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.3

Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.

Grade 5: Key Ideas and Details

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.2

Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.3

Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the textIntegration of Knowledge and Ideas

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.9

Integrate information from several texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.

Secondary(Grades 6th-12th)
Craft and Structure (9th-10th):

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.4

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary describing political, social, or economic aspects of history/social science