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An African-American Journey a Teacher Resource Guide to Accompany the Special Temporary Exhibit of the Collections of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library

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An African-American Journey a Teacher Resource Guide to Accompany the Special Temporary Exhibit of the Collections of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library From Prejudice to Pride: An African-American Journey A Teacher Resource Guide to accompany the special temporary exhibit of the collections of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library. IN CELEBRATION OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH... The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library (ALPL) will be exhibiting a photo- graphic display on African-American History, taken from the collections housed at the ALPL. The exhibit will be available for viewing from January 28-February 28, 2006 on the first and second floors of the Library Atrium. The exhibit covers a variety of topics relating to the history of African-Americans, including: plantation life, slavery and the underground railroad, family life, military service, arts and entertainment, politics and sports. This Teacher Resource Guide provides resources, activities and discussion questions to use in conjunction with the exhibit or in celebration of Black History Month. In 1926, Dr. Carter Godwin Woodson, OBJECTIVES LEARNING STANDARDS an African-American historian, writer, and educator, established Negro History Upon visitng this exhibit and The activities in this packet address the Week to honor the contributions of completing the activities in this following Illinois Learning Standards. African-Americans to American History. Resource Guide, students will be Language Arts Woodson chose February because the able to: birthdays of abolitionist Frederick Douglass State Goal 3: Write to communicate for a and President Abraham Lincoln fall in • Recognize the significant variety of purposes. this month. During the early 1970s, the State Goal 5: Use the language arts to ac- contributions African Americans have quire, assess and communicate information. name of the celebration was changed to Black History Week and, in 1976, it made to our state’s history. Social Sciences was expanded to Black History Month. • Explain the significance of Black State Goal 14: Understand political systems, Woodson is known as the “father of Black History Month. with an emphasis on the United States. History,” and his scholarly research and State Goal 16: Understand events, trends, • writings have made the study of Black Identify at least three significant individuals and movements shaping the history a legitimate and acceptable field of African Americans and their impact history of Illinois, the United States and academic inquiry. upon the history of Illinois. other nations. State Goal 18: Understand social stystems, • Critically analyze a historic pho- with an emphasis on the United States. tograph. Fine Arts • Recognize how historic artifacts State Goal 25: Know the language of the are powerful ties to the past and can be arts. State Goal 26: Through creating and per- used in the understanding and telling of forming, understand how works of art are historic stories. produced. State Goal 27: Understand the role of arts • Create a poem based upon their in civilizations, past and present. insights and feelings. Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum 212 North Sixth Street Springfield, IL 62701 www.alplm.org Illinois History Makers Throughout Illinois' long history, African-Americans have made significant contributions in all areas of our social, political, cultural and economic past. A few of those individuals are highlighted here; more are featured in the ALPL exhibit From Prejudice to Pride: An African-American Journey. Their stories are an inspiration and an integral part of our shared history. Peters LLC in Chicago. He specializes In 1942, Washington married Nan- Politics in environmental, consumer affairs, and cy Dorothy Finch. The couple had no ROLAND BURRIS estate law. He was managing partner children and later divorced. At the time of the Chicago-based law firm of Jones, of his death in 1987, he was engaged to Roland Burris was born in Centra- Ware & Grenard, one of the largest Mary Ella Smith. lia, Illinois. He graduated from South- minority law firms in the country prior Washington’s long career began in ern Illinois University in Carbondale to his move to Buford and Peters. 1952 as an Assistant City Prosecutor. with a degree in political science in In 1965 he was elected as an Illinois 1959 and then studied at the University HAROLD WASHINGTON State Representative for the 26th District of Ham- and served until 1976. He moved on burg in Harold Washington was the first Afri- to the Illinois Senate, serving there from Germany can-American mayor of Chicago. His 1977 to 1980. He ran for Chicago for a many accomplishments included: Mayor in 1977 but received only 11% year. He • Creating the Ethics Commission of the vote. He then ran for Congress earned • Issuing an Executive Order increas- in the 1st District and served from 1981 his law ing minority business contracts to 1983. In 1983, Washington won the degree at • Opening government with a Free- Democratic primary, prevailing over the Howard dom of Information Executive Order incumbent mayor, Jane Byrne. He won Uni- • Leading the fight for Ward redistrict- the general election and was inaugurat- versity ing to provide more Black and Hispanic ed at Navy Pier on April 29, 1983. He in 1963. In 1963, Burris’s career representation was reelected in 1987. began with a position as a national • Fighting for equal provision of pub- On November 25, 1987, Harold bank examiner for the U. S. Treasury lic services; neighborhood street, curb Washington died of a heart attack at his Department. He was the first African- and gutter repair desk in his Chicago office. Thousands American to be a bank examiner in the • Encouraging neighborhood festivals of Chicago residents attended his wake United States. From 1964 to 1973 and projects in the lobby of City Hall. He is buried he was vice President of Continental • Leading the movement for Illinois’ in Oak Woods Cemetery in Chicago. Illinois National Bank in Chicago. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday The Chicago Public Library system a member of Illinois Governor Dan bill. named Walker’s cabinet, he served as Director The youngest of four children, their of the Department of General Ser- Washington was born at Cook County new vices in 1973. He was elected as state Hospital in Chicago on April 15, 1922. central comptroller in 1978 and served three He attended schools in Chicago, but branch terms. Again he made history, this time did not receive a high school diploma build- as the first African-American elected to until after his military service. He was ing for state office. In 1990, he was elected decorated for bravery for his service in Mayor attorney general for the state of Illinois World War II. Washington graduated Wash- and served from 1991 to 1995. He ran from Roosevelt College (now Roosevelt ington, for Governor of Illinois three times, but University) in 1949 and earned his law and was unsuccessful in his bids. Since leav- degree in 1952 from Northeastern Uni- the Loop College, located in downtown ing public office, he now works as an versity in Evanston. Chicago, was renamed Harold Wash- attorney with the law firm, Buford and ington College as a memorial to him. 2 successful in the theater and performed Arts & Entertainment in many legendary Broadway produc- tions. She broke the stereo-typical In 1962 she was invited to a GWENDOLYN BROOKS portrayal of African-Americans with Library of Congress poetry festival by Gwendolyn Brooks was born on her role of a widowed housewife in the President John F. Kennedy. She taught June 7, 1917 in Topeka, Kansas. She Golddiggers (1933). The performance at many colleges, including Columbia moved to Chicago as a child and stayed earned her the title of “The New Negro College Chicago, Northeastern Illinois there until her death on December 3, Woman” by the African-American University, Elmhurst College, Columbia 2000. Her fame was primarily for her press. As her fame grew, President and University, Clay College of New York poetry, but she also wrote a novel, an Mrs. Roosevelt invited her to sing at the and the University of Wisconsin. autobiog- White House in 1933. She was named Poet Laureate of Il- raphy, and It is said that that George Gersh- linois in 1968. She received many other other works win thought of Etta as he wrote the awards, including the Frost Medal, the of prose. Her character of “Bess” in Porgy and Bess Shelley Memorial Award, an American poetry was and wanted her to star in the play in Academy of Arts and Letters Award, first published 1935. She declined the role because a National Endowment for the Arts in 1945 and she sang contralto and the role was for award, fellowships from the Academy in 1949, a soprano. She relented, taking the role of American Poets and the Guggenheim her book of in 1942 for which she became famous. Foundation, and from 1985 to 1986, poetry, Annie She went on to perform at many inter- she was a Consultant in Poetry to the Allen, won a national concerts and music festivals, Library of Congress. Pulitzer Prize, and her last performance was at a Dan- The Illinois State Library in Spring- the first won by an African-American ish concert in 1952. field was renamed the Gwendolyn woman. In 1933, she married Claude Bar- Brooks Building in 2003. Her poetry was based on the poor nett, founder of the Associated Negro and the people of the South Side of Press. They were married for 33 years Chicago. She began her work as a ETTA MOTEN BARNETT and traveled extensively in the 1950’s columnist for an African-American as members of the U.S. delegation to Etta Moten Barnett was born in newspaper, the Chicago Defender. The Ghana, where in 1957, she interviewed Texas on November 5, 1901. She style of her poems went from traditional a young Martin Luther King, Jr.
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