Marching for Civil Rights Today: A Collaborative Mural

Student Engagement

Jun 21

Lesson by Patty Bode and Stephanie Schmidt

Students frequently think of civil rights as an issue from the past. For many of them, the topic seems like ancient history. Raising their awareness of current civil rights issues helps them see the relevance of the Civil Rights Movement and gives them a deeper understanding of it. When students are encouraged to think about injustices that have meaning for them, their academic learning deepens and their artistic expression blossoms.

“A Mighty Walk From Selma” mural by Sunny Paulk and Corey Spearman in Montgomery, Alabama. Photo: Mark Hilton

Objectives

To deepen understanding of the Civil Rights Movement
To declare and display commitment to at least one contemporary civil rights issue
To affirm the role of social action and resistance in our society
To engage in social activist art
To develop creative expression through mural-making
To develop skills in collaborative work through mural design

Guiding Questions

What do we know about the Civil Rights Movement?
How did the Civil Rights Movement create social change?
Is institutionalized racism still an issue today?
What other issues of oppression does our society face?
What acts of resistance are likely to provoke our society to change?
What struggles do we have a passion to support?
Who are some contemporary artists who are making statements about social change in their work?

Materials

Index cards
Artwork of a contemporary artist whose work focuses on social change
Pencils
12” x 18” oak tag
Large mural paper
Tempera paint
Brushes
Cans of water
Fabric scraps
Drawing utensils
Glue (or Velcro)
Scissors

Procedure

Class Discussion and Motivation

Discuss civil rights issues that are important to students today. Be sure to talk about some of the unresolved issues from the Civil Rights era on the list begun with , such as devastating inequality in schools, employment, and housing. Invite students to add issues to which they feel a deep commitment or concern. They may bring up ideas such as: “Women should get equal pay and not be harassed.” “Lesbian and gay people should be recognized in their marriages.” “We need to keep bilingual education in our school.” “College shouldn’t be so expensive; more kids should go.” “Doctor’s appointments should be affordable. What do we call that? Healthcare coverage?” Take the initiative in talking about subjects that may be uncomfortable for some students. For example, I find that when I address Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) rights with clarity and forthright discussion, it gives students a safe place to ask questions and learn about sensitive issues. It also seems to calm any nervous giggling or teasing. If there are insults or laughter, first I explain very clearly that it is common to laugh or make a “put-down” when we have a lack of knowledge about a topic. So it is important to build our knowledge. I next explain that insulting or oppressing people because of their sexual orientation is a violation of their civil rights. We discuss using language that is accurate, such as the word lesbian, which is not a bad word or an insult, but is a word that de-scribes a woman who has a homosexual orientation. I ask students why they think we as a society should care about the civil rights of the LGBT community. They are quick to point out that members of that community have been subject to violence (in some cases, murder) because of their sexual orientation. Some students know famous artists, pop stars, filmmakers, and writers who are gay; they discuss their contributions. This kind of discussion establishes a classroom tone that enables some students to share family stories of loved ones who do not have domestic partner recognition.

Other challenging discussions may arise if students make assertions such as “The Civil Rights era brought about the necessary changes, and if people are not making it in this society, then it is their own fault. All they have to do is work harder.” Comments like this invite discussion about institutionalized racism, which leads to conversations about “white privilege.” I draw on Peggy McIntosh’s work in these discussions as we examine her idea of the “knapsack of white privilege.” (See Resources at the end of this lesson.) To open students’ minds to the realities of this phenomenon, I start with issues of privilege that may be less threatening to some students, such as ability/disability. Although the Americans with Disabilities Act has advanced the rights of people with disabilities, our country still has a long way to go to assure inclusion and opportunity for these members of our society.

After listing students’ concerns about civil rights issues, discuss the relationship between the earlier Civil Rights era and our contemporary era. Think about strategies that worked well in the Civil Rights Movement; think about what might work well in today’s struggles. Students will inevitably notice that organized acts of mass resistance were essential to effecting change in the past. Discuss what students can do today. Have students list the struggles in which they are most interested on one side of an index card, and on the other side have them name one that will be the subject of their marching figure for the mural.

Study the artwork of a contemporary artist whose work is a vehicle for statements for social change. Contemporary Art and Multicultural Education, edited by Susan Cahan and Zoya Kocur, contains many excellent examples. An artist such as Juan Sanchez, for example, depicts the Puerto Rican experience in the United States. Jean LaMarr makes statements about nuclear waste on Native American land, and Yong Soon Min comments on Korean-American identity. This book contains narratives by the artists, written in both Spanish and English, and concludes with 43 lesson plans. It will serve as a stimulus for students’ reflection on the role of artists in social action.

Overview and Technique

Students draw figures of marchers. The teacher may use the lesson A Study of Artist Aaron Douglas and employ the Aaron Douglas style, or if the class already did that in the lesson Remembering the Memphis Sanitation Workers’ Strike: A Collaborative Mural, the teacher may want to encourage students to draw in more detail by depicting the figure in the clothes and styles of today. Drawing more detailed figures is very engaging for teens, who are particularly interested in expressing themselves through fashion and hairstyle. It also reinforces the notion of a new contemporary era of civil rights and of their engagement in this new era.

Each student draws a human figure in the act of walking or marching while holding a protest sign. Show images of the antiwar movement of 2003, as well as images of the Civil Rights Movement, that feature protesters using many creative signs. Look at paintings by Faith Ringgold and Malcah Zeldis mentioned in lesson 2. Color or paint the marcher. Collage may be used to add detail. Fabric scraps may be glued to suggest clothing, hair, etc. It is worthwhile taking considerable time on each figure. Students begin to care deeply about their marcher and the civil rights issue they have chosen.
After students have drawn their figure, they create a sign for their marcher. Each sign should be different, since each student has a personal topic of concern. The sign may be a simple rectangle, or it may be a creative symbolic shape. The sign may be a simple statement, or it may be a poetic proverb. A brainstorming exercise may be helpful in composing phrases.
Cut out marching figures and signs. Attach signs to marchers with craft sticks.
Roll out large mural paper. Students work together to design the scenery for the mural. Since this mural emphasizes contemporary issues, painting a familiar scene will be especially meaningful for students. For example, they might include the downtown area of their community with familiar storefronts, favorite pizza and ice cream shops, the schoolyard showing the doors they walk through every day, their favorite hangout area in the school lot, neighborhood areas, town halls, etc.
Draw and paint the scenery.
Glue every marcher and sign on the scenery (or attach with Velcro so students may take their marcher home later).
Create a sign that tells viewers the meaning of the mural. Explain the process of creating it and invite viewers to make comments about their own commitment to civil rights issues.
Display the mural in a prominent public place such as the school cafeteria or lobby, town hall, or in a local business.

Extensions

This lesson may be integrated with both social studies and language arts; it is an excellent precursor to the launch of a social action project.

Synthesize, Assess, Evaluate

Revisit the guiding questions and the initial brainstorm. Make a list of the contemporary civil rights issues that the members of the class addressed. Then brainstorm a new list of particular actions that will lead to change in current civil rights issues.

Ask students about the role of the arts in social action. Reflect on how song, poetry, performance, and visual art were used in the Civil Rights era. Reflect on the role of art and the artist in social change today. Have students choose a contemporary artist from the community, a website, or the book Contemporary Art and Multicultural Education. Then, encourage them to think about how this artist might represent the civil rights issue they chose. Have students begin a sketch for a new art piece that will represent the issue and stimulate a contemporary viewer to think about social change.

Resources

Cahan, Susan, and Zoya Kocur. Contemporary Art and Multicultural Education. New York: Routledge, 1996.

McIntosh, Peggy. White Privilege and Male Privilege: A Personal Account of Coming to See Correspondences through Work in Women’s Studies. Working Paper no. 189. Wellesley, Mass.: Wellesley College Center for Research on Women, 1988.

The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) “strives to assure that each member of every school community is valued and respected regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.”

Speak Out, the Institute for Democratic Education and Culture, “is the country’s only national not-for-profit organization that promotes progressive speakers and artists on campuses and in communities. Committed to social, political, cultural, and economic justice, Speak Out encourages critical and imaginative thinking about domestic and international issues through artistic and educational forums nationwide.”

The Freechild Project “seeks to build active democracy by engaging young people in social change, particularly those who have been historically denied participation”

Patty BodeStephanie SchmidtLesson

Julia Salcedo