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Goals/Objectives/Student Outcomes: Materials Goals/Objectives/Student Outcomes: Students will: slaves during the 19th century. After the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation, former slaves came to the • Explain how African Americans, despite their Midwest, settling in already established African-American small numbers in the state of Iowa, have been a communities in southeastern and western Iowa. They had few part of Iowa history since before statehood and choices of work—mainly unskilled or semi-skilled labor. In the have contributed to the social, political, cultural, mid 1860s African-Americans worked for railroad companies and economic evolution of the state. laying tracks across the country, including Iowa. Later they worked as waiters and porters on the railway cars. Because of • Be introduced to the accomplishments of African their race, however, they were not hired for better-paying Americans in Iowa history positions such as engineers and conductors. • Explain how legal and illegal discrimination By the 1880s many African-American Iowans moved from rural areas has affected African-American Iowans and how to cities and worked as hotel porters and doormen, waiters cooks, African-American Iowans succeeded in maids, and barbers. Some started their own businesses. Others overcoming discrimination and racism. worked as doctors, lawyers, pharmacists, and school teachers. They served the needs of their communities when many European Americans would not. Materials: Around the turn of the century, numerous African Americans found jobs in southern and central Iowa coal mines. A well-known coal 1. Art materials for poster mining community was Buxton, where many ethnic groups lived in harmony until the mines closed and the community was abandoned in 2. Props for play (optional) the 1920s. 3. Blackboard Civil rights issues became increasingly important in this century. To combat inequality and violence against African Americans, the National Association of Colored People (NAACP) was organized in Background: 1909. Iowa's first chapter, in Des Moines, was organized in 1915. By 1947 chapters existed in at least 12 cities. To help younger African Iowa's first African-American residents were slaves who had been Americans, NAACP youth councils were organized for those 12 to 21 brought here illegally by European Americans in the 1830s. African years old. Americans also came on their own to escape slavery. In the 1840s they found work in the Dubuque lead mines. In the river towns of African-American travelers often were refused rooms in Iowa's hotels. Burlington, Davenport, Keokuk, and Sioux City, they worked as African-American churches enlisted the support of church members deckhands on ships that traveled on the Mississippi and Missouri who allowed travelers to stay in their homes. In 1954 Cedar Rapids Rivers. Most African Americans were drawn to Iowa and other businessman Cecil Reed and his wife, Evelyn, opened the Sepia northern states hoping to gain a better education, higher wages, and Motel for people of all races. a better way of life. By the 1950s and 1960s, many restaurants and hotels still Iowa's early laws made it difficult for African Americans to settle discriminated against African Americans. In 1947, civil rights leader here. They were required to post a $500 bond and present a Edna Griffin sued a downtown Des Moines drugstore because it Certificate of Freedom. They also were denied the civil rights refused to serve her at the lunch counter. The drugstore was found European- American settlers received. In 1851, for example, Iowa guilty of violating the state's civil rights law and was find $50. The passed laws that excluded African Americans from voting or holding owners appealed the court's decision, and the case went to the Iowa seats in the General Assembly. Supreme Court. On December 13, 1949 the high court ruled in Although most Iowans didn't view African Americans as equals, Griffin's favor. Griffin had won her case, but many Iowa businesses most residents did oppose slavery. Several Iowa towns housed continued to discriminate. stops on the Underground Railroad, a secret escape route for The same year that Edna Griffin sued the Des Moines drugstore, the Have students complete the attached map exercise to learn more Iowa Legislature shot down a civil rights bill. Sixteen years later, the about African Americans and African-American communities in Iowa Iowa Legislature passed the first civil rights bill since 1892. This act, history. "The Iowa Fair Employment Practices Act," made it illegal for businesses DAY 2: to discriminate against employees or job applicants. Organize a performance of "The Fight For Equality," an attached play. In 1964 the U.S. Congress passed The 1964 Civil Rights Act. It Students who don't have acting parts may be in charge of props and would be another year until the Iowa Civil Rights Act of 1965 became costumes. Some students may be audience members. Have these students write a review of the play. If possible, invite parents and law. Among other things, this act created the Iowa Civil Rights others to view the performance. Commission. This organization investigates discrimination complaints filed by African Americans and other minorities. Procedure 4: Taking Care of Business—1 class period Some of Iowa's cities organized human or civil rights commission in Share and discuss the "Spreading the News" attachment. Discuss the the 1960s and 1970s to combat discrimination. The Iowa Civil Rights importance of newspapers and other forms of communications and Act became law during the national Civil Rights Movement of the why African-American Iowans established their own newspapers. 1960s and 1970s. African-American Iowans supported this national Reproduce copies of the "Newspaper Slogans" attachment. Divide cause as they worked to gain civil rights in their home state. students into groups. Assign each group a slogan or two to interpret, allowing them to use a dictionary. Ask them to decide why the newspaper owners chose a certain slogan. What do the slogans Procedures: mean? What purpose do slogans serve? Procedure 1: Overview—1/2 class period Share and discuss the time line and background information with Assessment of Outcomes: students. Discuss why African Americans came to Iowa, what they found when they arrived, and what they did once they got here. Write Students will: population numbers (see attachment) on the board and discuss the • develop a poster depicting life in Iowa for African Americans, numbers. What do they mean, what are their significance, etc. Is basing the poster drawings on attached timeline information. there power in numbers? Why and how? • trace anti-discrimination laws in either written or oral form. Instruct students to make a poster that depicts life in Iowa as an • work in groups to select one biography about one African- African American at a specific period of time. They should base American Iowan. Students in each group will read the biography, their drawings on the discussion of the timeline and background information. discuss it with other group members, and then present to the class a group oral report about their subject. Procedure 2: Discrimination and Prejudice 1 class period Discuss laws that have discriminated against African Americans Extensions and Adaptations: throughout Iowa history, as well as the laws that were meant to end " " discrimination. Trace these laws through history by writing them in Organize the activity Brown Eyes, Blue Eyes. This is a two-day chronological order on the black board.A list of important laws is exercise that can be put into place at any time. See "African-American attached. Ask students to discuss how Iowa laws have discriminated Iowans, 1830 to 1970s," The Goldfinch 16 (15, or the book A Class against African Americans. Divided by William Peters, for instructions. At the end of the exercise have each student write an essay about how it felt to be Encourage students to discuss times when they have been discriminated against. discriminated against because of race, gender, religion, etc. Ask them if laws today protect all citizens and if prejudice and discrimination exist Encourage each student to conduct an oral interview with an African today. (This would be a good place in introduce the "Brown Eyes, Blue American in his/her community and then write an essay about the ' Eyes" exercise discussed in the Extensions and Adaptations section). persons life. As a class, determine what questions are important to ask the interview subjects. Combine all essays into a book and Procedure 3: Biography and Overcoming donate it to the public library or local/county historical society. Ask a Discrimination—2 class periods local business to donate funds for photocopying and binding. DAY 1: Have students write poems or stories from the attached Divide students into groups. Have each group read one of the vocabulary list. attached biographies of an African-American Iowan and answer the following questions: Read and discuss articles from "African-American Iowans, 1830s to 1970s," The Goldfinch, Volume 16, No.4. 1) What did this person accomplish in his/her life? 2) How was this person discriminated against? 3) What did this person do about the discrimination he/she faced? Resources: 4) Do you think all African-American Iowans were able to overcome "African-American Iowans, 1830s to 1970s." The Goldfinch 16 discrimination before there were laws meant to protect all citizens? (Summer 1995). " Each group should present their person to the rest of the class, "Blacks in Des Moines. The Goldfinch 10 (November 1988): 20. sharing the information gathered from answering the above "A Father Fights for Equal Rights." The Goldfinch 2 (April 1981): 10. questions. "History Makers: Underground Railroad." The Goldfinch 9 (November Iowans joined the demonstrations in Iowa. They continued their 1987): 30. involvement with organizations such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
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