Guiding Questions
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Section 1. Let My People Go
- Does any form of slavery exist today? How does it compare to slavery described in this exhibit?
- How did advocates for slavery defend this “peculiar institution” and how did they justify it?
- How do people maintain their humanity when society or those in power deny it?
- What is resistance?
Section 2. Broke at Last
- How long did it take for human rights to reach the level at which they exist today? When did the process start?
- Looking at these documents, who would you say was treated fairly? Who was treated unfairly?
- How would you define fair in your life?
Section 3. This Land Is Your Land
- Are all men created equal?
- Is there ever a reason for denying the rights of a specific group or groups of people?
- How did the expansion of the US affect the rights of Native Americans?
- Debate as a culminating activity: Should Native Americans have lost the rights to their land?
Section 4. A Change Is Gonna Come
- What types of dissent have been documented over the years? By whom? When?
- How has the United States dealt with the challenges of righting past wrongs?
- Is there a danger that other groups could be victims of discrimination in the future?
- What issues involving civil rights do you see as possible challenges in the future?
Section 5. We Shall Overcome
- How important have the courts been in the process of change in American human rights? Could these changes been implemented without court action?
- What factors led to school integration becoming an issue in the 1950s? Why did it take so long?
- Did Brown v. Board of Education settle everything?
