Related Current Events:

Civil Rights Activists Honored

Fifty years ago, on June 21, 1964, three young men went missing. They were part of Freedom Summer, an effort to register black residents to vote in segregated Mississippi. They were murdered by the local Ku Klux Klan. When their bodies were found a month later, the outrage led to the passage of civil rights protections. On November 24, 2014 President Obama posthumously awarded these three men the highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, to honor their sacrifice and work towards equality.
Read More

CURRENT EVENT | January 11, 2017

Comparing Black Lives Matter to the Civil Rights Movement

There are parallels between the race struggles of Martin Luther King half a century ago and the Black Lives Matter movement of today. This story tells of how attention is being brought to the disparities between races in the United States, and how the message has changed from an aspirational tone to a commitment to truth-telling. Protesters in both struggles were working to transform America and focus on respect. Listen to hear more about civil rights activism in this interview recorded on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Story Length: 5:17

Listen to the Story:

Play / pause

0:00

volume

Civil Rights Activism, From Martin Luther King To Black Lives Matter

SOURCE:

01/18/2016

Listening Link (share with students)

Copy this link and distribute for students to listen from their own device.

https://app.listenwise.com/students/events/819-comparing-black-lives-matter-to-the-civil-rights-movement

Listening Comprehension Questions

What are the similarities between the Civil Rights movement and the Black Lives Matter movement?
Why are differences in the audience of these two movements important?
What role does nonviolence have in the history of this racial disparity?
Why did Martin Luther King, Jr. want us to learn from the Civil Rights movement?

Classroom Discussion Themes

What do you think it will take to have everyone in the United States achieve the full recognition of the dignity of black people?
In your opinion, how are these protest movements similar and different?

Bring the power of public radio to your classroom!