February is Black History Month. Educators, this collection of 11 Retro Report videos highlights historical and contemporary stories of Black history in the United States. These resources offer insights into pivotal moments, transformative movements and influential changemakers from the 19th century to today, and can be used to foster meaningful discussions in your classroom. View the full Black History Month collection here.
Lessons from the 2004 Democratic Convention: Obama’s Speech
In 2004, Barack Obama, then a state senator from Illinois, gave a speech that transformed the arc of American politics and led to his election as president four years later. Incorporate this video and mini lesson plan to showcase not only a turning point in American politics, but the story of how one man was able to jump-start modern campaigning methods with a 24-minute keynote address.
Curt Flood, a center fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals, is credited with the birth of free agency in American sports. After refusing a trade to the Philadelphia Eagles, Flood invoked the spirit of the civil rights movement and highlighted tensions between team owners and professional athletes. Modern controversies surrounding free agency in pro football and baseball can be traced back to his challenge of the power dynamic. Students can learn more about the movement sparked by Flood and its references to the historical challenges of Black athletes in America in this Retro Report documentary.
Bringing Midwifery Back to Black Mothers
Among wealthy countries, the United States has the highest maternal mortality rate, and Black women die in childbirth at more than double the rate of white women. Many Black parents are now turning to the traditional practice of midwifery for care during pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period, with the goal of reducing this health disparity. Share this documentary with your students to tie a practice with a rich history to a modern movement.
Louis Armstrong And The Black Celebrity’s Dilemma
During the 2016 N.F.L. preseason, Colin Kaepernick, quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, sparked a national conversation when he took a knee during the national anthem to protest the oppression of Black people and people of color. Black celebrities have often faced backlash when addressing racial inequities. Jazz icon Louis Armstrong was seen as a smiling, easygoing entertainer, but in 1957, his comments on racial discrimination in the South stirred controversy. This Retro Report documentary shines a light on the issue.
How Geography Drove M.L.K.’s Fight for a Ferry in Alabama
This video illustrates the achievements of the civil rights movement and the enduring challenges facing Black Americans by focusing on the small community of Gee’s Bend, Ala., a town that attracted the attention of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the 1960s. The video helps students connect the battles fought by King’s movement nearly five decades ago and the barriers to equality and opportunity that residents of Gee’s Bend face today.
Black Swimmers Overcome Racism and Fear, Reclaiming a Tradition
Studies have shown that Black children today drown in swimming pools at a rate far higher than that of white children. This alarming statistic can be traced back to decades of institutionalized segregation, discrimination and lack of access to public pools. Use this Retro Report documentary to teach about these inequities and highlight programs developed in recent years to overcome these barriers.
How Black Women Fought Racism and Sexism for the Right to Vote
For decades after the 19th Amendment was ratified, Black women faced obstacles to voting, despite the critical role they played in the suffragist movement. The 1965 Voting Rights Act outlawed many of those barriers to voting, and counties with a history of discrimination were placed under federal oversight. Learn more about the fight to secure the vote for Black women and the challenges they continue to face in this Retro Report documentary.
What Jesse Owens’s Story Tells Us About Sports and Politics
In 1936, Jesse Owens took track and field by storm at the summer Olympic Games in Berlin. Adolf Hitler had risen to power, and the Nazi Party hoped to showcase the superiority of their Aryan athletes. By winning four gold medals, Owens disproved Nazi racial ideology on an international stage. Share the story of Jesse Owens with your students to illustrate one of the many ways sports have been used as a platform for challenging racial discrimination.
Use Retro Report resources to celebrate and commemorate Black Americans who have faced barriers and sparked social change. For a list of free videos and classroom resources, check out www.retroreport.org. Teachers can see a more extensive list of resources in our Black History Month Collection and AP African American History Collection.
The 1942 lynching of Cleo Wright and the subsequent failure of the first federal attempt to prosecute a lynching continues to haunt the small city of Sikeston, Mo. In 2020, there was a police killing of an unarmed Black man in Sikeston. “Silence in Sikeston” explores questions about history, trauma, silence and resilience. This film is a co-production of Retro Report, WORLD and KFF Health News.
Beyond the Battlefield: Double V and Black Americans’ Fight for Equality
A civil rights initiative during World War II known as the Double V campaign advocated for dual victories: over fascism abroad, and racial injustice in the United States. The campaign, launched by an influential Black newspaper, called out discrimination and segregation faced by Black workers and military personnel. It fueled the growing civil rights movement and underscored the push for social justice on both global and national fronts.
Ida B. Wells and the Long Crusade to Outlaw Lynching
Ida B. Wells, a journalist, civil rights activist and suffragist, dedicated her life to documenting injustices against Black Americans and calling for change. This video examines her life and legacy, and the movement she led to get federal anti-lynching legislation passed.
DAGMAR ROTHSCHILD was an education intern at Retro Report. Stay up to date. Subscribe to our newsletters.
CAROLINE WATKINS is the Senior Audience Engagement Manager at Retro Report.
