DOCSLIB.ORG

BHITM Teaching Guide FULL

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
BHITM Teaching Guide FULL FPO BLACK HISTORY IN TWO MINUTES TEACHING GUIDE SEASON ONE TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ...............................................................1 How to Use This Guide .................................................................................................1 National Standards .........................................................................................................2 Preparing to Teach .........................................................................................................2 Topic Selection ................................................................................................................2 Videos by Social Justice Domain and Theme ..........................................................3 Essential Questions ........................................................................................................4 Student Objectives..........................................................................................................4 KWL Chart & Big Idea Questions ...............................................................................4 Independent Study Activities ......................................................................................5 PLUG-AND-PLAY ACTIVITIES ............................................6 Backchannel .....................................................................................................................7 Notetaking ........................................................................................................................9 Video Notes graphic organizer .................................................................................11 General Notetaking graphic organizer ....................................................................12 Student-led Inquiry and Research ............................................................................13 LESSONS ...................................................................... 15 Individual and Society: Black Discoveries and Black Patents ............................16 Individual and Society: Successes Unseen .............................................................19 Freedom and Choice: Black Arts and Entertainment ..........................................23 Power and Privilege: Leading the Revolution ........................................................27 Struggle and Progress: Injustice and Media ...........................................................31 Membership and Solidarity: Black Exploration ....................................................36 Membership and Solidarity: The Black Church and Fisk Jubilee Singers ......39 GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS .................................................. 42 3, 2, 1 ... Engage! .............................................................................................................43 While I Watch ...............................................................................................................45 View and Share .............................................................................................................47 Before/Now ...................................................................................................................49 Connections to Self, Others, Fairness and Action .................................................51 Video Tour ......................................................................................................................53 4 A’s Protocol .................................................................................................................55 Thinking Through Viewing .......................................................................................57 TEXT-DEPENDENT QUESTIONS ........................................ 59 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................... 73 BLACKHISTORYINTWOMINUTES.COM | SEASON ONE | TEACHING GUIDE II SEASON 1 TEACHING GUIDE Welcome to the Black History in Two Minutes Season One Teaching Guide. Here, you will find a variety of resources designed to help you use these short, engaging videos with your students at home, in your classroom, with a community group or in any other setting where young people learn. Narrated by renowned historian Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and executive produced by Robert F. Smith, these videos are powerful teaching tools that can help students connect with important but commonly overlooked events in American history. Too often, schools relegate Black history to the month of February, reinforcing the notion that it is “extra” material, separate from the history of the United States students learn throughout the year. This guide can help disrupt that narrative by supporting the use of these student-friendly cross-disciplinary videos through- out scopes, sequences and settings. FOCAL POINT Whether you’re teaching about Black feminism, the Harlem Renaissance, Jack Johnson’s “fight of the century” or any of the more than 60 topics represented in the video library, we hope you and your stu- dents will be inspired by the individuals who made this history, and take their legacies with you on your teaching, learning and civic engagement journeys. HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE The Black History in Two Minutes Season One Teaching 3. A set of student objectives identifying the knowl- Guide supports a variety of teaching and learning goals. edge and skills students will gain by engaging with Browse the scripted lessons, which provide an off-the-shelf these video-based activities. option that is perfect for extending existing unit plans. 4. A universal KWL chart for use with any video. Customize a “plug-and-play” activity based on a theme that speaks to your school or classroom climate needs. You 5. Customizable Big Idea questions to help students might choose to focus on a single essential question and focus on video content specific to the teaching and follow that line of inquiry with students through several learning goals. videos. Or you can encourage older kids to engage in the 6. Two independent study activities to support students student-led inquiry activity to keep them engaged during in following their own line of inquiry. downtime or to facilitate project-based learning. There is no correct way or order to do the activi- 7. Customizable or “plug-and-play” learning activities ties; decide what objectives you want your students to that can be used with any video or combination of videos Black History in Two Minutes meet, and use your creativity to design a custom plan from the library. by selecting and combining teaching materials and 8. Scripted lessons that invite students to explore resources. groupings of videos. To get you started, here is an overview of what you will 9. Graphic organizers to help students visually engage find in the guide. with own thinking while they watch the videos. 1. The list of Season One videos grouped by theme and 10. A set of sample text-dependent questions that can social justice domain to support planning. be used in assessments, journal prompts, speaking and lis- 2. A set of overarching essential questions designed to tening activities, or a variety of other instructional tasks. drive student inquiry. BLACKHISTORYINTWOMINUTES.COM | SEASON ONE | TEACHING GUIDE 1 ANGELA DAVIS IS AN INFLUENTIAL FEMINIST AND ABOLITIONIST LEADER AND AUTHOR. ALONG WITH MANY OTHER BLACK FEMINISTS IN THE 1970s, SHE PUSHED THE WOMEN'S MOVEMENT AND THE BLACK POWER MOVEMENT TO RECOGNIZE THE INTERSECTING OPPRESSIONS BLACK WOMEN EXPERIENCE. NATIONAL STANDARDS Each video in the Black History in Two Minutes library A NOTE has been mapped by theme and by social justice ABOUT TOPIC Although the history of domain: identity, diversity, justice and action. These SELECTION Black America includes four domains refer to the Teaching Tolerance Social many stories of struggle and Justice Standards, anchor standards and age-appro- resistance, it also includes many examples of inge- priate learning outcomes that provide a road map for nuity, creativity and joy. It is important that students anti-bias education at every stage of K–12 instruction. encounter multiple narratives and learning opportuni- The activities in this guide were also designed to meet ties that reinforce the complexity and diversity of Black Dimension 1 (Developing Questions and Planning people and Black communities. Throughout the guide, Inquiries) and Dimension 4 (Communicating you will notice people, facts and events highlighted as Conclusions and Taking Informed Action) of the C3 a reminder to share a variety of stories that engage Framework, as well as CCSS Anchor Standards for themes, not just of oppression, but also agency, empow- reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language. erment, community building and accomplishment. PREPARING TO TEACH The Black History in Two Minutes library and Teaching material brings up painful emotions. If you are a non- Guide include some videos and lessons intended to edu- Black teacher, have you thought about your own racial cate students about painful and even violent history. identity in relationship to the material? Do you have Before you share these videos and lessons, look at your the language and the experience to navigate students' classroom demographics and anticipate how your stu- questions about concepts like white supremacy and the dents may feel about the material. Are your students social construction of race? prepared to have conversations about race and racism? To aid you in preparing to teach the materials in this What prior
Load more

Recommended publications
  • H. Res. 1253 in the House of Representatives, U
    H. Res. 1253 In the House of Representatives, U. S., December 10, 2020. Whereas Joseph Hayne Rainey was born enslaved on June 21, 1832, in Georgetown, South Carolina; Whereas South Carolina prohibited the education of Black Americans, and instead of a formal education, Joseph H. Rainey learned the barbering trade from his father, Ed- ward Rainey; Whereas Edward Rainey used profits from his work as a bar- ber to buy his and his family’s freedom in the early 1840’s; Whereas Joseph H. Rainey eventually moved with his family to Charleston, South Carolina; Whereas in 1859, Joseph H. Rainey married his wife, Susan, with whom he had three children, Joseph, Herbert, and Olive; Whereas in 1861, Joseph H. Rainey was conscripted by the Confederate Army and worked as a ship’s steward aboard a Confederate vessel which secretly carried goods to the Union Navy; Whereas during the Civil War, in 1862, Joseph H. Rainey and his wife and family escaped to Bermuda, a British colony that had abolished slavery in 1834, where he un- 2 dertook successful entrepreneurial endeavors with his wife; Whereas in 1866 Joseph Rainey and his family moved back to Charleston, South Carolina after the Civil War had ended; Whereas Joseph H. Rainey co-founded the state Republican Party and represented Georgetown, South Carolina on the Party’s central committee; Whereas Joseph H. Rainey participated in the South Caro- lina State constitutional convention in 1868; Whereas Joseph H. Rainey won election to the House of Rep- resentatives in 1870 and was the first African American to serve in the House of Representatives; Whereas Joseph H.
    [Show full text]
  • H.Doc. 108-224 Black Americans in Congress 1870-2007
    “The Negroes’ Temporary Farewell” JIM CROW AND THE EXCLUSION OF AFRICAN AMERICANS FROM CONGRESS, 1887–1929 On December 5, 1887, for the first time in almost two decades, Congress convened without an African-American Member. “All the men who stood up in awkward squads to be sworn in on Monday had white faces,” noted a correspondent for the Philadelphia Record of the Members who took the oath of office on the House Floor. “The negro is not only out of Congress, he is practically out of politics.”1 Though three black men served in the next Congress (51st, 1889–1891), the number of African Americans serving on Capitol Hill diminished significantly as the congressional focus on racial equality faded. Only five African Americans were elected to the House in the next decade: Henry Cheatham and George White of North Carolina, Thomas Miller and George Murray of South Carolina, and John M. Langston of Virginia. But despite their isolation, these men sought to represent the interests of all African Americans. Like their predecessors, they confronted violent and contested elections, difficulty procuring desirable committee assignments, and an inability to pass their legislative initiatives. Moreover, these black Members faced further impediments in the form of legalized segregation and disfranchisement, general disinterest in progressive racial legislation, and the increasing power of southern conservatives in Congress. John M. Langston took his seat in Congress after contesting the election results in his district. One of the first African Americans in the nation elected to public office, he was clerk of the Brownhelm (Ohio) Townshipn i 1855.
    [Show full text]
  • Joseph Rainey 150Th Anniversary Exhibition Timeline
    Joseph Rainey, between 1860 and 1875 Image courtesy of the Library of Congress Born into slavery in 1832, Joseph Rainey was the first African American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives, the first African American to preside over the House, and the longest-serving African American during Reconstruction. When Rainey was a child in the 1840s, his father bought the family’s freedom, and they settled in Charleston, South Carolina. EXHIBITION TIMELINE During the Civil War, Rainey escaped to Bermuda, where he had a profitable barbershop. He dove into politics immediately when he returned to South Carolina in 1866. Rainey was sworn in as a Member of Congress on December 12, 1870, and represented his South Carolina district for eight years. He argued for federal protection from Ku Klux Klan violence and demanded legislation to ensure African Joseph Rainey, 2004 Americans’ civil rights. history.house.gov @USHouseHistory Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives Joseph Rainey: 150th Anniversary commemorates the South Carolina Member’s swearing-in on December 12, 1870, when he became the first African American to serve in the House of Representatives. The exhibition explores the impact of Rainey and the African-American Representatives who followed in his footsteps, overcoming barriers raised by the legacy of slavery and the rise of Jim Crow. It is located in the first floor House Connecting Corridor of the U.S. Capitol. 1964–1965 1865–1877 Congress passes the The Civil War’s end ushers in Civil Rights Act of 1964, Reconstruction, the federal guaranteeing equal access 1969 government’s 12-year effort to public accommodations to establish rights for African and schools, and barring Shirley Chisholm is sworn Americans and return employment discrimination.
    [Show full text]
  • Black Women, Educational Philosophies, and Community Service, 1865-1965/ Stephanie Y
    University of Massachusetts Amherst ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014 1-1-2003 Living legacies : Black women, educational philosophies, and community service, 1865-1965/ Stephanie Y. Evans University of Massachusetts Amherst Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_1 Recommended Citation Evans, Stephanie Y., "Living legacies : Black women, educational philosophies, and community service, 1865-1965/" (2003). Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014. 915. https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_1/915 This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014 by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. For more information, please contact [email protected]. M UMASS. DATE DUE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST LIVING LEGACIES: BLACK WOMEN, EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHIES, AND COMMUNITY SERVICE, 1865-1965 A Dissertation Presented by STEPHANIE YVETTE EVANS Submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Massachusetts Amherst in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY May 2003 Afro-American Studies © Copyright by Stephanie Yvette Evans 2003 All Rights Reserved BLACK WOMEN, EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOHIES, AND COMMUNITY SERVICE, 1865-1964 A Dissertation Presented by STEPHANIE YVETTE EVANS Approved as to style and content by: Jo Bracey Jr., Chair William Strickland,
    [Show full text]
  • The Attucks Theater September 4, 2020 | Source: Theater/ Words by Penny Neef
    Spotlight: The Attucks Theater September 4, 2020 | Source: http://spotlightnews.press/index.php/2020/09/04/spotlight-the-attucks- theater/ Words by Penny Neef. Images as credited. Feature image by Mike Penello. In the early 20th century, segregation was a fact of life for African Americans in the South. It became a matter of law in 1926. In 1919, a group of African Americans from Norfolk and Portsmouth met to develop a cultural/business center in Norfolk where the black community “could be treated with dignity and respect.” The “Twin Cities Amusement Corporation” envisioned something like a modern-day town center. The businessmen obtained funding from black owned financial institutions in Hampton Roads. Twin Cities designed and built a movie theater/ retail/ office complex at the corner of Church Street and Virginia Beach Boulevard in Norfolk. Photo courtesy of the family of Harvey Johnson The businessmen chose 25-year-old architect Harvey Johnson to design a 600-seat “state of the art” theater with balconies and an orchestra pit. The Attucks Theatre is the only surviving theater in the United States that was designed, financed and built by African Americans. The Attucks was named after Crispus Attucks, a stevedore of African and Native American descent. He was the first patriot killed in the Revolutionary War at the Boston Massacre of 1770. The theatre featured a stage curtain with a dramatic depiction of the death of Crispus Attucks. Photo by Scott Wertz. The Attucks was an immediate success. It was known as the “Apollo Theatre of the South.” Legendary performers Cab Calloway, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Nat King Cole, and B.B.
    [Show full text]
  • Fighting Segregation, Teaching Multiculturalism: the Beginning of the Education/Instruccion Narrative of the 1970S Hartford Civil Rights Movement
    Trinity College Trinity College Digital Repository Papers and Publications Cities, Suburbs, and Schools Project 6-2010 Fighting Segregation, Teaching Multiculturalism: The Beginning of the Education/Instruccion Narrative of the 1970s Hartford Civil Rights Movement Jasmin Agosto Trinity College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalrepository.trincoll.edu/cssp_papers Part of the Education Commons Recommended Citation Agosto, Jasmin. “Fighting Segregation, Teaching Multiculturalism: The Beginning of the Education/ Instruccion Narrative of the 1970s Hartford Civil Rights Movement”. Educational Studies Senior Research Project, Hartford, Connecticut: Trinity College, 2010. Available from the Trinity College Digital Repository, Hartford, Connecticut (http://digitalrepository.trincoll.edu) FIGHTING SEGREGATION, TEACHING MULTICULTURALISM: The Beginning of the Education/Instrucción Narrative of the 1970s Hartford Civil Rights Movement REVISED June 8, 2010 Investigated by Aspiring Local Historian Jasmin E. Agosto For Educational Studies Senior Research Seminar Trinity College, Hartford, CT Fall/Spring 2009-10 PLEASE SEND COMMENTS to author at [email protected] Or Jasmin Agosto,39 Arnold Street, Hartford, CT 06106 WEB OF POWER: MAPPING INSTITUTIONAL RACISM The year was 1970. Three eager individuals gathered in a small recently bought storefront office space at 1170 Albany Avenue1 in the North End of Hartford. They were focused. They were determined to deeply investigate, unearth, and eliminate institutional racism in the city of Hartford. The first step was this map of where it was at – locating power. They cut pieces of paper with lists of the Boards of Directors of all the major corporations in Hartford – the insurance companies, the banks, the real estate agencies. Gluing names on the wall they realized that names were repeated on Boards across companies.
    [Show full text]
  • Black History Month Calendar
    In honor of Black History Month, we will journey through time and learn about 20 inspiring African Americans who made an impact, and their contributions to our world today. Long before Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr. Harriet Tubman, and Rosa Parks etched their names into American History, there were so many unknown or forgotten individuals who helped make significant contributions to society. From Inventors, to educators, activists, and poets it’s so important to make sure diverse contributions are always part of our conversations about history. The best part? We can all learn and share about these contributions everyday-not just in February. To learn about each of their contributions click the images below. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday February 1st February 2nd February 3rd February 4th February 5th Dr. Carter G. Woodson Shirley Chishlom Dr. Charles Drew Katherine Johnson Benjamin Banneker “Father of Black History” “Unbought &Unbossed” “Father of Blood Banks” “Hidden Figures” “Washington D.C” Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday February 8th February 9th February 10th February 11th February 12th Harriet Powers Otis Boykin Mary McLeod Bethune Perry Wallace Bessie Coleman “Mother of African “Pacemaker Control “Pioneer in Black “Triumph” “Queen Bess” Quilting” Unit” Education” Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday February 15th February 16th February 17th February 18th February 19th Clementine Hunter Lillian Harden Chester Pierce Mamie “Peanut” Johnson Dr. Charles H. Turner “Art from Her Heart” Armstrong “Follow Chester” “Strong Right Arm” “Buzzing with Questions” “Born to Swing” Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday February 22nd February 23rd February 24th February 25th February 26th Madame CJ Walker Garret Morgan Mary H.
    [Show full text]
  • The Survival of American Silent Feature Films: 1912–1929 by David Pierce September 2013
    The Survival of American Silent Feature Films: 1912–1929 by David Pierce September 2013 COUNCIL ON LIBRARY AND INFORMATION RESOURCES AND THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS The Survival of American Silent Feature Films: 1912–1929 by David Pierce September 2013 Mr. Pierce has also created a da tabase of location information on the archival film holdings identified in the course of his research. See www.loc.gov/film. Commissioned for and sponsored by the National Film Preservation Board Council on Library and Information Resources and The Library of Congress Washington, D.C. The National Film Preservation Board The National Film Preservation Board was established at the Library of Congress by the National Film Preservation Act of 1988, and most recently reauthorized by the U.S. Congress in 2008. Among the provisions of the law is a mandate to “undertake studies and investigations of film preservation activities as needed, including the efficacy of new technologies, and recommend solutions to- im prove these practices.” More information about the National Film Preservation Board can be found at http://www.loc.gov/film/. ISBN 978-1-932326-39-0 CLIR Publication No. 158 Copublished by: Council on Library and Information Resources The Library of Congress 1707 L Street NW, Suite 650 and 101 Independence Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20036 Washington, DC 20540 Web site at http://www.clir.org Web site at http://www.loc.gov Additional copies are available for $30 each. Orders may be placed through CLIR’s Web site. This publication is also available online at no charge at http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub158.
    [Show full text]
  • American Spiritual Program Fall 2009
    Saturday, September 26, 2009 • 7:30 p.m. Asbury United Methodist Church • 1401 Camden Avenue, Salisbury Comprised of some of the finest voices in the world, the internationally acclaimed ensemble offers stirring renditions of Negro spirituals, Broadway songs and other music influenced by the spiritual. This concert is sponsored by The Peter and Judy Jackson Music Performance Fund;SU President Janet Dudley-Eshbach; Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs Diane Allen; Dean Maarten Pereboom, Charles R. and Martha N. Fulton School of Liberal Arts; Dean Dennis Pataniczek, Samuel W. and Marilyn C. Seidel School of Education and Professional Studies; the SU Foundation, Inc.; and the Salisbury Wicomico Arts Council. THE AMERICAN SPIRITUAL ENSEMBLE EVERETT MCCORVEY , F OUNDER AND MUSIC DIRECTOR www.americanspiritualensemble.com PROGRAM THE SPIRITUAL Walk Together, Children ..........................................................................................arr. William Henry Smith Jacob’s Ladder ..........................................................................................................arr. Harry Robert Wilson Angelique Clay, Soprano Soloist Plenty Good Room ..................................................................................................arr. William Henry Smith Go Down, Moses ............................................................................................................arr. Harry T. Burleigh Frederick Jackson, Bass-Baritone Is There Anybody Here? ....................................................................................................arr.
    [Show full text]
  • Maya Angelou Author, Civil Rights Activist, Poet (1928–2014)
    Biography HAPPY VIDEO BIRTHDAY Queen Queen Elizabeth II Latifah Maya Angelou Author, Civil Rights Activist, Poet (1928–2014) Maya Angelou is a poet and award-winning author known for her acclaimed memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and her numerous poetry and essay collections. Synopsis NAME Born on April 4, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri, writer and civil rights Maya Angelou activist Maya Angelou is known for her 1969 memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, which made literary history as the first nonfiction OCCUPATION Author, Civil Rights best-seller by an African-American woman. In 1971, Angelou published Activist, Poet the Pulitzer Prize-nominated poetry collection Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water 'Fore I Die. She later wrote the poem "On the Pulse of BIRTH DATE Morning"—one of her most famous works—which she recited at April 4, 1928 President Bill Clinton's inauguration in 1993. Angelou received several DEATH DATE honors throughout her career, including two NAACP Image Awards in May 28, 2014 the outstanding literary work (nonfiction) category, in 2005 and 2009. EDUCATION She died on May 28, 2014. George Washington High School, California Labor School Early Years PLACE OF BIRTH St. Louis, Missouri Multi-talented barely seems to cover the depth and breadth of Maya AKA Angelou's accomplishments. She was an author, actress, screenwriter, Marguerite Johnson dancer and poet. Born Marguerite Annie Johnson, Angelou had a Marguerite Ann Johnson difficult childhood. Her parents split up when she was very young, and she and her older brother, Bailey, were sent to live with their father's NICKNAME Maya mother, Anne Henderson, in Stamps, Arkansas.
    [Show full text]
  • A Light in Darkness, Oscar Micheaux: Entrepreneur Intellectual Agitator Airic Hughes University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
    University of Arkansas, Fayetteville ScholarWorks@UARK Theses and Dissertations 7-2015 A Light in Darkness, Oscar Micheaux: Entrepreneur Intellectual Agitator Airic Hughes University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd Part of the African American Studies Commons, African History Commons, American Film Studies Commons, and the American Literature Commons Recommended Citation Hughes, Airic, "A Light in Darkness, Oscar Micheaux: Entrepreneur Intellectual Agitator" (2015). Theses and Dissertations. 1317. http://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/1317 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@UARK. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UARK. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. A Light in Darkness, Oscar Micheaux: Entrepreneur Intellectual Agitator A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in History By Airic Hughes University of Arkansas Bachelor of Arts in History and African and African American Studies, 2011 July 2015 University of Arkansas This thesis is approved for recommendation to the Graduate Council. __________________ Dr. Calvin White Thesis Director __________________ __________________ Dr. Pearl Ford Dowe Dr. James Gigantino Committee Member Committee Member Abstract: Oscar Micheaux was a luminary who served as an agent of racial uplift, with a unique message to share with the world on behalf of the culturally marginalized African Americans. He produced projects that conveyed the complexity of the true black experience with passion and creative courage. His films empowered black audiences and challenged conventional stereotypes of black culture and potential.
    [Show full text]
  • Jubilee Singers Archives 1858-1924 Reprocessed by Aisha M. Johnson Special Collections Librarian Fisk University September 2013
    Jubilee Singers Archives 1858-1924 Reprocessed by Aisha M. Johnson Special Collections Librarian Fisk University September 2013 Background: The tradition of excellence at Fisk has developed out of a history marked by struggle and uncertainty. The Fisk Jubilee Singers originated as a group of students who set out on a concert tour of the North on October 6, 1871 to save a financially ailing school. Their ages ranged from fifteen to twenty-five years old. The idea to form the group was conceived by George L. White, the University’s treasurer, against the disapproval of the University. White borrowed money for the tour. In the beginning, the group met with failure, singing classical and popular music. When they began to sing slave songs, they bought spirituals to the attention of the world during their national and European concerts. It was White who gave them the name Jubilee Singers in memory of the Jewish Year of Jubilee. The original Jubilee Singers (1871) are Minnie Tate, Greene Evans, Isaac Dickerson, Jennie Jackson, Maggie Porter, Ella Sheppard, Thomas Rutling, Benjamin Holmes, Eliza Walker, and George White as director. The Singers raised $150,000, which went to the building of Jubilee Hall, now a historic landmark. Today, the tradition of the Jubilee Singers continues at Fisk University. On October 6th of every year, Fisk University pauses to observe the anniversary of the singers' departure from campus in 1871. The contemporary Jubilee Singers perform during the University convocation and conclude the day's ceremonies with a pilgrimage to the grave sites of the original Jubilee Singers to sing.
    [Show full text]