Brown v. Board of Education- was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional. The decision overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896 which allowed state-sponsored segregation.
Cold War- the state of political hostility that existed between the Soviet bloc countries and the U.S.-led Western powers from 1945 to 1990.
Generational divide-
Gospel Music- a fervent style of black American evangelical religious singing, developed from spirituals sung in Southern Baptist and Pentecostal churches
Homogeneous- of the same kind; alike
Ideology- a system of ideas and ideals, esp. one that forms the basis of economic or political theory and policy.
Integration- the intermixing of people or groups previously segregated
Juvenile delinquency- refers to antisocial or illegal behavior by children or adolescents. Most legal systems prescribe specific procedures for dealing with juveniles, such as juvenile detention centers. There are a multitude of different theories on the causes of crime, most if not all of which can be applied to the causes of youth crime.
Segregation- the action or state of setting someone or something apart from other people or things or being set apart
Taboo- a social or religious custom prohibiting or restricting a particular practice or forbidding association with a particular person, place, or thing.
Tipping point-
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. Where is Memphis located? In the 1950’s, what social and cultural factors existed in Memphis that did not exist in, for example, Omaha, Nebraska? Tennessee , Segregation in memphis was huge. There were black only stores and white only stores. 2. According to one historian, the “official ideology” of the United States was that it was a “happy, homogeneous nation” in 1954. What does that statement mean? What visuals are used in the documentary to support that interpretation? He was stating that the US loved all races and they did segregate which wasn't true. 3. What was happening in the United States and the world during the 1950’s to create an “age of anxiety”? There was a new type of music created called Rock n' Roll which changed the lives of many parents and teens. 4. Why did young white people often attend Black churches in Memphis? What is gospel music? How is it related to the “Blues” and “Rhythm and Blues” music? Many young white people attend black churches to learn to sing gospel musics, Gospel music is the music that blacks sang in there churches, Its related because Many blacks started to sing the blues and rhythmic music and they were rasied to sing gospel so they added that into the music. 5. How were issues of race and music woven together in America in the 1950’s? Why were so many white adults worried about their children listening to Black artists like Chuck Berry and B.B. King? Many white People started to dress like elvis and when was was getting big he would dress like blacks and sing gospel type music. Many parents were worried because they could see that they're kids didn't care about race anymore they just loved the music. 6. Who was Sam Phillips? Why was Phillips important in the history of civil rights? He was a record producer with his own label. Yes he was very important because he helped spread Rock and Roll. 7. The Supreme Court decision known as Brown versus Board of Education, which banned legal segregation of schools, occurred more or less simultaneously as theappearance of Elvis Presley as a rock’n’roll star. How did Presley’s dress, performing style, and music upset the status quo? How was he linked to integration by his critics? Presley dressed performed and sang like an African American. This was how he was linked to integration. 8. In your opinion, do you think most of Presley’s fans saw him as a symbol of integration and social change? Why or why not? Yes i believe many people look at elvis as a social change because his music brings togethers whites and blacks. Also many whites start to wear blacks clothes and they start to shop at black stores. 9. What is juvenile delinquency? Were critics of rock ‘n’roll concerned about delinquency of African American youths or just white youths? Why? Juvenile delinquency is a kid that was bad and did the wrong things. Critics were concerned for both black and white children. 10. Why were some adults convinced that rock’n’roll would lead to the decline of America’s youth? What did they try to do to control rock music? Because kids didn't really care about stuff anymore they just wanted to be like the Rock singers. They don't act like there parents did and all they wanted to do was to leave home and listen to their Rock music. 11 . How and why did teenagers become an important consumer group in the 1950’s? Are they still an important consumer group? 12. Describe the response to Presley on television. Who was Ed Sullivan? Why is his television program important in this documentary? Ed Sullivan is the talk show host for a show on CBS. He was the host when Elvis was put on the show to sing his songs. Yes it was important because he helped elvis show his fan he didn't loose his spark. 13. Until September, 1956, when Presley appeared on the Ed Sullivan show, television was a conservative cultural force. What type of cultural force is television today? Explain your answer. 14. Would you consider Elvis’ appearance on the Ed Sullivan show to be a “turning point” in American history? Why or why not? Yes i think his appearance on the show was a turning point because many people got tv's to watch him and then that allowed people to broadcast other thing on the TV so the world could see like news and such.
Primary Source Exploration:
The following is an excerpt from Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren’s opinion in the Brown v. the Board of Education decision, in which he outlined the findings of the court on the issue of racial segregation. After reading this excerpt, ask students to consider the questions below. Brown v. Board of Education, Excerpt (1954)
“Today, education is perhaps the most important function of state and local governments. Compulsory school attendance laws and the great expenditures for education both demonstrate our recognition of the importance of education to our democratic society. It is required in the performance of our most basic public responsibilities, even service in the armed forces. It is the very foundation of good citizenship. Today it is a principal instrument in awakening the child to cultural values, in preparing him for later professional training, and in helping him to adjust normally to his environment. In these days, it is doubtful that any child may reasonably be expected to succeed in life if he is denied the opportunity of an education. Such an opportunity, where the state has undertaken to provide it, is a right which must be made available to all on equal terms.”
1. What is the basic argument Judge Warren makes in the paragraph above? Do you agree with his views on education? How does his statement pertain to racial segregation? His main argument was that education was the most important thing we have. yes it should be equal, everything should be the same for every one. making schools equal for black and white kids every where.
2. How do you think American race relations and rock ‘n’ roll music were intertwined? What influence do you think the Brown v. Board of Education decision had on the United States more broadly? Yes i believe they were intertwined because Rock N' Roll had different types of music from different races mixed together to make Rock N' Roll. I believe that the Brown v. Board decision helped stop segregation in the U.S.
Extended Activities (PROJECT):
1. BLUES BIOGRAPHY (Individual or group project): Choose one of the following artists and research his or her life and times: Sam Cooke, B.B. King, W.C. Handy, the Drifters, Thelonious Monk, Muddy Waters, Leadbelly, Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith, Robert Johnson. Display your findings in a scrap book or on a poster board. Indicate important civil rights dates and other national events along with personal achievements and chronological milestones of your chosen artist. Providing a sampling of his or her music would be a nice addition. Present your report to your class.
Brown v. Board of Education- was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional. The decision overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896 which allowed state-sponsored segregation.
Cold War- the state of political hostility that existed between the Soviet bloc countries and the U.S.-led Western powers from 1945 to 1990.
Generational divide-
Gospel Music- a fervent style of black American evangelical religious singing, developed from spirituals sung in Southern Baptist and Pentecostal churches
Homogeneous- of the same kind; alike
Ideology- a system of ideas and ideals, esp. one that forms the basis of economic or political theory and policy.
Integration- the intermixing of people or groups previously segregated
Juvenile delinquency- refers to antisocial or illegal behavior by children or adolescents. Most legal systems prescribe specific procedures for dealing with juveniles, such as juvenile detention centers. There are a multitude of different theories on the causes of crime, most if not all of which can be applied to the causes of youth crime.
Segregation- the action or state of setting someone or something apart from other people or things or being set apart
Taboo- a social or religious custom prohibiting or restricting a particular practice or forbidding association with a particular person, place, or thing.
Tipping point-
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. Where is Memphis located? In the 1950’s, what social and cultural factors existed in Memphis that did not exist in, for example, Omaha, Nebraska? Tennessee , Segregation in memphis was huge. There were black only stores and white only stores.
2. According to one historian, the “official ideology” of the United States was that it was a “happy, homogeneous nation” in 1954. What does that statement mean? What visuals are used in the documentary to support that interpretation? He was stating that the US loved all races and they did segregate which wasn't true.
3. What was happening in the United States and the world during the 1950’s to create an “age of anxiety”? There was a new type of music created called Rock n' Roll which changed the lives of many parents and teens.
4. Why did young white people often attend Black churches in Memphis? What is gospel music? How is it related to the “Blues” and “Rhythm and Blues” music? Many young white people attend black churches to learn to sing gospel musics, Gospel music is the music that blacks sang in there churches, Its related because Many blacks started to sing the blues and rhythmic music and they were rasied to sing gospel so they added that into the music.
5. How were issues of race and music woven together in America in the 1950’s? Why were so many white adults worried about their children listening to Black artists like Chuck Berry and B.B. King? Many white People started to dress like elvis and when was was getting big he would dress like blacks and sing gospel type music. Many parents were worried because they could see that they're kids didn't care about race anymore they just loved the music.
6. Who was Sam Phillips? Why was Phillips important in the history of civil rights? He was a record producer with his own label. Yes he was very important because he helped spread Rock and Roll.
7. The Supreme Court decision known as Brown versus Board of Education, which banned legal segregation of schools, occurred more or less simultaneously as the appearance of Elvis Presley as a rock’n’roll star. How did Presley’s dress, performing style, and music upset the status quo? How was he linked to integration by his critics? Presley dressed performed and sang like an African American. This was how he was linked to integration.
8. In your opinion, do you think most of Presley’s fans saw him as a symbol of integration and social change? Why or why not? Yes i believe many people look at elvis as a social change because his music brings togethers whites and blacks. Also many whites start to wear blacks clothes and they start to shop at black stores.
9. What is juvenile delinquency? Were critics of rock ‘n’roll concerned about delinquency of African American youths or just white youths? Why? Juvenile delinquency is a kid that was bad and did the wrong things. Critics were concerned for both black and white children.
10. Why were some adults convinced that rock’n’roll would lead to the decline of America’s youth? What did they try to do to control rock music? Because kids didn't really care about stuff anymore they just wanted to be like the Rock singers. They don't act like there parents did and all they wanted to do was to leave home and listen to their Rock music.
11 . How and why did teenagers become an important consumer group in the 1950’s? Are they still an important consumer group?
12. Describe the response to Presley on television. Who was Ed Sullivan? Why is his television program important in this documentary? Ed Sullivan is the talk show host for a show on CBS. He was the host when Elvis was put on the show to sing his songs. Yes it was important because he helped elvis show his fan he didn't loose his spark.
13. Until September, 1956, when Presley appeared on the Ed Sullivan show, television was a conservative cultural force. What type of cultural force is television today? Explain your answer.
14. Would you consider Elvis’ appearance on the Ed Sullivan show to be a “turning point” in American history? Why or why not? Yes i think his appearance on the show was a turning point because many people got tv's to watch him and then that allowed people to broadcast other thing on the TV so the world could see like news and such.
Primary Source Exploration:
The following is an excerpt from Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren’s opinion in the Brown v. the Board of Education decision, in which he outlined the findings of the court on the issue of racial segregation. After reading this excerpt, ask students to consider the questions below.
Brown v. Board of Education, Excerpt (1954)
“Today, education is perhaps the most important function of state and local governments. Compulsory school attendance laws and the great expenditures for education both demonstrate our recognition of the importance of education to our democratic society. It is required in the performance of our most basic public responsibilities, even service in the armed forces. It is the very foundation of good citizenship. Today it is a principal instrument in awakening the child to cultural values, in preparing him for later professional training, and in helping him to adjust normally to his environment. In these days, it is doubtful that any child may reasonably be expected to succeed in life if he is denied the opportunity of an education. Such an opportunity, where the state has undertaken to provide it, is a right which must be made available to all on equal terms.”
1. What is the basic argument Judge Warren makes in the paragraph above? Do you agree with his views on education? How does his statement pertain to racial segregation? His main argument was that education was the most important thing we have. yes it should be equal, everything should be the same for every one. making schools equal for black and white kids every where.
2. How do you think American race relations and rock ‘n’ roll music were intertwined? What influence do you think the Brown v. Board of Education decision had on the United States more broadly? Yes i believe they were intertwined because Rock N' Roll had different types of music from different races mixed together to make Rock N' Roll. I believe that the Brown v. Board decision helped stop segregation in the U.S.
Extended Activities (PROJECT):
1. BLUES BIOGRAPHY (Individual or group project): Choose one of the following artists and research his or her life and times: Sam Cooke, B.B. King, W.C. Handy, the Drifters, Thelonious Monk, Muddy Waters, Leadbelly, Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith, Robert Johnson. Display your findings in a scrap book or on a poster board. Indicate important civil rights dates and other national events along with personal achievements and chronological milestones of your chosen artist. Providing a sampling of his or her music would be a nice addition. Present your report to your class.