FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 30, 2004

Deborah Menkart
Tel: (202) 588-7205
Email: dmenkart@teachingforchange.org

Putting the Movement Back into Civil Rights Teaching Wins Book of the Year Award!

October 30, 2004 — Tthe National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME) presented its Philip K. Chinn Multicultural Book Award to a new publication, Putting the Movement Back into Civil Rights Teaching: A Resource Guide for Classrooms and Communities. The award, presented at NAME’s 14th Annual Conference, hailed the book as an “outstanding contribution to the field of multicultural education.” Putting the Movement Back Into Civil Rights Teaching is co-published by Teaching For Change (TFC) and the Poverty & Race Research Action Council (PRRAC).

According to co-editor Deborah Menkart, “the story of the Civil Rights Movement is often reduced to Rosa Parks’ refusal to move to the back of the bus and Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech. The tireless work of hundreds of thousands of people and the great breadth of organizing which could serve to inspire and inform the next generation are lost in a trivial pursuit of names and dates. The story of the Civil Rights Movement, as told in Putting the Movement Back into Civil Rights Teaching, will help students recognize the essential role of ‘ordinary’ people in making social change possible.”

Linda Shevitz, an equity officer for the Maryland Department of Education, nominated the publication for the award because it helps educators “explore the complexities of the Civil Rights Movement and apply its concepts of social justice and civic activism to contemporary issues.” Putting the Movement Back into Civil Rights Teaching encompasses the civil rights struggles of African Americans and related struggles for social and economic justice of Native Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, working people of all races, and women. The book serves as a practical teaching guide, aimed at helping teachers emphasize themes of equality and justice, and collaborate with students as active producers and learners of knowledge. It includes lesson plans, reflections on teaching, and a wealth of material for classroom use: primary documents, historical accounts, interviews, poetry, songs, and photos. A website—CivilRightsTeaching.org —provides suggestions for a wide variety of books, audiovisual aids, and websites that teachers can use to deepen their instruction. The central themes of this publication focus on the impact of the Civil Rights Movement on: Citizenship and Self-determination, Education, Economic Justice and Culture. Each section emphasizes the often overlooked roles of women, young people, grassroots organizing, and global connections.

The power of this book is due in large part to sound advice from a prestigious advisory board, including Danny Glover, Howard Zinn, Sonia Sanchez, and Juan Williams. Public Education Network (PEN) president Wendy D. Puriefoy says of the book: “Putting the Movement Back into Civil Rights Teaching is a unique collection of urgent voices who remind us that true and lasting movements for social, economic, and racial justice begin with you and me.” Dean of Wayne State University Law School and distinguished author Frank Wu calls it “as academically rigorous as it is innovative.” He adds, “The struggle is depicted here vividly and profoundly by a distinguished roster of authors.”

The National Association for Multicultural Education is recognized as a leading advocate for multicultural education. For the past fourteen years it has worked to promote the development of culturally responsive curriculum, greater understanding of diverse cultures, and policies that help eliminate racism and discrimination. Teaching For Change provides educational resources and workshops for parents and teachers organizing for social justice through public education. The Poverty & Race Research Action Council advances research, advocacy and policy changes that address the intersections of economic injustice and racism. Putting the Movement Back into Civil Rights Teaching can be ordered for $25 from www.civilrightsteaching.org.

# # #