The Civil Right Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965 are considered the most important civil rights legislation since the end of the Civil War. They arose from courtrooms, executive actions, and prior legislation, but also from sit-ins, boycotts, and civic organizing with a message that reached the media, schools and living rooms across America. In this module, students will examine the CRA of 1964 and the VRA of 1965 as a way to assess the strength and limitations of laws that advance social change. What did this legislation accomplish for African-Americans and how did it fall short?
As an extension, students will assess the effects of these laws on the condition of women, Hispanics, or other minority groups.
This module fits into a larger integrated unit on Civil Rights (part of the ConnectEd Law and Justice pathways curriculum) that culminates in two projects: an interview with someone who has experienced the effects of the CRA of 1964 or the VRA of 1965, and the construction of a Civil Rights Museum, with artifacts selected by or created by students, including student photography and the oral histories offered by the subjects of student interviews. The writing generated in response to the teaching task included in
this module is to be considered a performance outcome that builds toward and supports these projects.
