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On #TDIH in 1968 Henry Dumas (1934–1968), a critically acclaimed author, was fatally shot for unknown reasons by a New York Transit policeman. This is one of countless stories in the long history of police brutality against African Americans. ‪

Dumas’s family moved to Harlem from Arkansas when he was ten years old as part of the Great Migration. He went to public school, joined the military, and attended Rutgers University.

Dumas became active in the Civil Rights Movement, transporting food and clothing to civil rights workers in Mississippi and Tennessee.

Most of his writing was published after his death and includes “Ark of Bones” and Other Stories (1974), Play Ebony: Play Ivory (1974), Goodbye, Sweetwater (1988), Knees of a Natural Man: The Selected Poetry of Henry Dumas (1989), and Echo Tree: The Collected Short Fiction of Henry Dumas (2003).

Learn more about Dumas and find resources for teaching outside the textbook about police violence at the link below.

#BlackLivesMatter

https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/henry-dumas-shot

In 1993, the United Nations proclaimed May 22, #TDIH, the International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. According to UNESCO:

"Biodiversity is the living fabric of our planet. It underpins human wellbeing in the present and in the future, and its rapid decline threatens nature and people alike. The main global drivers of biodiversity loss are climate change, invasive species, over-exploitation of natural resources, pollution and urbanization."

Young people around the world are organizing to demand an end to the policies and practices that are causing climate change, such as Zenile Ngcame of Masiphumelele High School and her peers who protested for action against climate change outside Parliament in Cape Town in 2019.

The fight against the interlocking crises of climate chaos, capitalism, and white supremacy — and to build a more just future — continues. One such fight is the movement to #DefendTheForest and #StopCopCity in Atlanta, a movement dedicated both to preserving local biodiversity and rejecting more funds and infrastructure for the death making institution of the police.

We have a campaign to #TeachClimateJustice. We offer free lessons and recommendations of books, films, and readings for K-12 classrooms. Find classroom resources at the link below.

https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/international-day-biological-diversity/

In 1993, the United Nations proclaimed May 22, #TDIH, the International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. According to UNESCO:

"Biodiversity is the living fabric of our planet. It underpins human wellbeing in the present and in the future, and its rapid decline threatens nature and people alike. The main global drivers of biodiversity loss are climate change, invasive species, over-exploitation of natural resources, pollution and urbanization."

Young people around the world are organizing to demand an end to the policies and practices that are causing climate change, such as Zenile Ngcame of Masiphumelele High School and her peers who protested for action against climate change outside Parliament in Cape Town in 2019.

The fight against the interlocking crises of climate chaos, capitalism, and white supremacy — and to build a more just future — continues. One such fight is the movement to #DefendTheForest and #StopCopCity in Atlanta, a movement dedicated both to preserving local biodiversity and rejecting more funds and infrastructure for the death making institution of the police.

We have a campaign to #TeachClimateJustice. We offer free lessons and recommendations of books, films, and readings for K-12 classrooms. Find classroom resources at the link below.

https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/international-day-biological-diversity/

#Peoples250: Alexis encourages us to consider the labor of cooks, dishwashers, and busboys while visiting two iconic Civil Rights era DC restaurants: Ben's Chili Bowl and Florida Avenue Grill. #America250 #CivilRightsMovement #DCHistory #Americanhistory

In 2026, many of the groups that have led the campaigns to ban books and censor history are focusing their efforts on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. (These include the Heritage Foundation, Hillsdale College, Moms for Liberty, PragerU, Turning Point USA, and more.)

So we are focusing on the 250th anniversary as well. To support educators in that effort, we developed a series of questions to invite inquiry and surface thoughtful discussions about the American Revolution and founding of the United States. For example, “Should the American Revolution be considered revolutionary?” We also offer free downloadable lessons along with recommended books, films, and articles.

Learn more and sign up to participate: zinnedproject.org/american-revolution

#America250 #TeachTruth

In 2026, many of the groups that have led the campaigns to ban books and censor history are focusing their efforts on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. (These include the Heritage Foundation, Hillsdale College, Moms for Liberty, PragerU, Turning Point USA, and more.)

So we are focusing on the 250th anniversary as well. To support educators in that effort, we developed a series of questions to invite inquiry and surface thoughtful discussions about the American Revolution and founding of the United States. For example, “Should the American Revolution be considered revolutionary?” We also offer free downloadable lessons along with recommended books, films, and articles.

Learn more and sign up to participate: zinnedproject.org/american-revolution

#America250 #TeachTruth

On #TDIH in 1796, Ona “Oney” Judge fled her enslavement to Pres. George Washington, while the first family resided in Philadelphia, then the nation’s temporary capital.

Yes, Washington was an enslaver. He was one of 12 presidents in U.S. history (1 out of 4) who owned and sold people. Pennsylvania began to abolish slavery gradually in the 1780s but Washington was able to keep enslaved members of his household in Philadelphia by finding loopholes in the law. (For example, state law said that enslaved individuals brought to Pennsylvania and kept there would be free after six months, so Washington rotated people between Mount Vernon and Philadelphia every few months to ensure none of them could legally claim their freedom.)

Judge, in her early 20s, had learned that the Washingtons planned to transfer her to Martha Washington’s granddaughter, Elizabeth Parke Custis, as a wedding gift.

Decades later, Judge recalled her escape in an 1845 interview with an abolitionist newspaper in New Hampshire, where she had lived in freedom for the rest of her long life:

Whilst they were packing up to go to Virginia, I was packing to go, I didn’t know where; for I knew that if I went back to Virginia, I should never get my liberty. I had friends among the colored people of Philadelphia, had my things carried there beforehand, and left Washington’s house while they were eating dinner.

Continue learning about Ona Judge in this #TDIH post by Michael Knepler and find recommended resources at the link below.

https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/ona-judge-escapes/

Teach Truth Day of Action events are happening across the country. Check out these announcements for inspiration, and join an event or start planning your own! ⬇️🧵

https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/teach-truth-public-events/

*Slide 1: 6th Annual Teach Truth Day of Action
May 23 — Overland Park, Kansas
Hosted by @edequity.kc

*Slide 2: Seattle Teach Truth 2026 Call for Student Creations
Submissions due May 27; on display throughout June — Seattle, Washington
Hosted by @seattlepubliclibrary

*Slide 3: Teach Truth Day of Action
June 6 — Harlem, New York
Sister’s Uptown Bookstore & Cultural Center

Slide 4: Youngstown Freedom School
June 15–19 — Youngstown, Ohio
Hosted by Mahoning Valley Sojourn to the Past

#TeachTruth #FreedomToLearn

Teach Truth Day of Action events are happening across the country. Check out these announcements for inspiration, and join an event or start planning your own! ⬇️🧵

https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/teach-truth-public-events/

*Slide 1: 6th Annual Teach Truth Day of Action
May 23 — Overland Park, Kansas
Hosted by @edequity.kc

*Slide 2: Seattle Teach Truth 2026 Call for Student Creations
Submissions due May 27; on display throughout June — Seattle, Washington
Hosted by @seattlepubliclibrary

*Slide 3: Teach Truth Day of Action
June 6 — Harlem, New York
Sister’s Uptown Bookstore & Cultural Center

Slide 4: Youngstown Freedom School
June 15–19 — Youngstown, Ohio
Hosted by Mahoning Valley Sojourn to the Past

#TeachTruth #FreedomToLearn

Teach Truth Day of Action events are happening across the country. Check out these announcements for inspiration, and join an event or start planning your own! ⬇️🧵

https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/teach-truth-public-events/

*Slide 1: 6th Annual Teach Truth Day of Action
May 23 — Overland Park, Kansas
Hosted by @edequity.kc

*Slide 2: Seattle Teach Truth 2026 Call for Student Creations
Submissions due May 27; on display throughout June — Seattle, Washington
Hosted by @seattlepubliclibrary

*Slide 3: Teach Truth Day of Action
June 6 — Harlem, New York
Sister’s Uptown Bookstore & Cultural Center

Slide 4: Youngstown Freedom School
June 15–19 — Youngstown, Ohio
Hosted by Mahoning Valley Sojourn to the Past

#TeachTruth #FreedomToLearn

Teach Truth Day of Action events are happening across the country. Check out these announcements for inspiration, and join an event or start planning your own! ⬇️🧵

https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/teach-truth-public-events/

*Slide 1: 6th Annual Teach Truth Day of Action
May 23 — Overland Park, Kansas
Hosted by @edequity.kc

*Slide 2: Seattle Teach Truth 2026 Call for Student Creations
Submissions due May 27; on display throughout June — Seattle, Washington
Hosted by @seattlepubliclibrary

*Slide 3: Teach Truth Day of Action
June 6 — Harlem, New York
Sister’s Uptown Bookstore & Cultural Center

Slide 4: Youngstown Freedom School
June 15–19 — Youngstown, Ohio
Hosted by Mahoning Valley Sojourn to the Past

#TeachTruth #FreedomToLearn

In a rare and historic exception to the white supremacist only voice on Mississippi radio and TV, NAACP field secretary Medgar Evers made a 17-minute speech on WLBT on #TDIH in 1963.

Evers began by telling his audience that he was a veteran of the U.S. Army and that he had fought fascism and Nazism in Europe during World War II. He talked about returning to a 40% Black city of 150,000 residents (Jackson) that had no Black police officers, firefighters, or clerks — nor voting rights.

Transcripts of viewer calls to WLBT after Evers spoke, preserved at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, vividly depict the anger and hate exhibited by white viewers [warning: these transcripts are full of hate speech].

Less than a month later, on June 12, 1963, Evers was murdered. Read what Evers said on the radio that night and find resources at the link below to learn more and to teach about this era and the role of the press.

https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/medgar-evers-speech/

"I found ZEP while researching environmental racism & injustice. It's crucial that my students study this topic because they live in a city surrounded by industrial sectors that pollute their neighborhoods." — High school science teacher, San Fernando, California

People’s exposure to toxic chemicals is on the rise — made worse by the recent cuts to the already limited regulations. This administration is placing the health of our students at risk.

Invisible in air and water, toxins should be visible in the curriculum. We offer classroom lessons and resources, along with stories about organizing for environmental justice. Learn more at the link below.

https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/teach-about-toxins/

On #TDIH in 1975, virtually every shop and factory in New York City’s Chinatown was closed, with signs posted windows and on doors reading “Closed to Protest Police Brutality.”

In April 1975, Peter Yew, a young Chinese American, asked that police stop beating a 15 year-old whom they had stopped for a traffic violation. For his concern, Yew was savagely beaten right on the spot, taken back to the police station, stripped, beaten again and arrested on charges of resisting arrest and assault on a police officer.

Yew’s beating was the last straw as 15,000 Chinatown community members took to the streets to fight back against police attacks and brutality against their community. The community united around demands for the dismissal of all charges against Yew, an end to discrimination of the Chinese community, and an end to discrimination in employment, housing, education, health, and all other social services for all minorities and working people.

A week before the May 19th demonstration, several thousand people had marched on City Hall under an action sponsored by the Asian Americans for Equal Employment (AAFEE), raising demands similar to those raised at the May 19th action. The local business community and establishment refused to publicize or endorse the AAFEE action.

A week later, the Consolidated Benevolent Association (CCBA) called the May 19th action, bringing out old and young in one of the most united and militant actions ever taken by Chinatown residents. Although the CCBA tried to keep demands focused just on Peter Yew, the people of Chinatown clearly saw the broader issues, the fact that police repression was coming down in communities all across the United States. This was shown by the slogans raised such as “Fight Police Brutality, Fight all Oppression!”

Learn more and find recommended resources at the link below.

https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/chinatown-police-brutality-protests/

Q: Shouldn’t we keep politics out of public education and prohibit teachers from indoctrinating students?

Are you ready to answer this question?

This Thursday, learn how to respond and more at our Teach Truth Media Workshop.

Register now:

https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/media-workshop-defend-the-freedom-to-learn/

Q: Shouldn’t we keep politics out of public education and prohibit teachers from indoctrinating students?

Are you ready to answer this question?

This Thursday, learn how to respond and more at our Teach Truth Media Workshop.

Register now:

https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/media-workshop-defend-the-freedom-to-learn/

New lesson! “Beyond Loyalists and Patriots: Black and Native Americans Fight for Their Freedom in the U.S. War of Independence,” a mixer activity by Tiferet Ani and Mimi Eisen. This lesson is part of our Teach Truth: Decolonize 1776 campaign to support educators during the 250th anniversary of the U.S. founding.

The quotes from the Declaration of Independence that most people know — that “all men are created equal” with rights to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” — are regularly cited as proof that the United States was built on a cornerstone of freedom and justice for all. But the final grievance of the Declaration tells another story. It takes aim at Black and Native Americans, defending slavery and settler colonialism in the new United States.

In the “Beyond Patriots and Loyalists” mixer, students examine the causes and impacts of the American Revolution on voices stifled or erased from its commemorations. During the U.S. War of Independence, most people couldn’t stay neutral. They had to decide which side, if either, offered the best chance for freedom and survival. In this lesson, students explore the choices Black and Indigenous people faced — and what freedom meant to those excluded from it at the founding of the United States.

The 19 mixer roles include:
— Phillis Wheatley, a prolific poet who, in 1774, described the “strange absurdity of colonists who “cry for liberty” from the British while supporting slavery.
—Thayendanegea (Joseph Brant), a Mohawk leader who, in 1775, urged a British official to “procure us justice” from colonists seizing land of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy.
— James Forten, a sailmaker and abolitionist leader who, as a child in 1776, took to heart the claims in the Declaration that “all men” are entitled to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” — even if its authors meant to exclude Black Americans, like him.

Download the lesson and find more resources to teach the 250th at: zinnedproject.org/american-revolution

#America250 #TeachTruth

New lesson! “Beyond Loyalists and Patriots: Black and Native Americans Fight for Their Freedom in the U.S. War of Independence,” a mixer activity by Tiferet Ani and Mimi Eisen. This lesson is part of our Teach Truth: Decolonize 1776 campaign to support educators during the 250th anniversary of the U.S. founding.

The quotes from the Declaration of Independence that most people know — that “all men are created equal” with rights to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” — are regularly cited as proof that the United States was built on a cornerstone of freedom and justice for all. But the final grievance of the Declaration tells another story. It takes aim at Black and Native Americans, defending slavery and settler colonialism in the new United States.

In the “Beyond Patriots and Loyalists” mixer, students examine the causes and impacts of the American Revolution on voices stifled or erased from its commemorations. During the U.S. War of Independence, most people couldn’t stay neutral. They had to decide which side, if either, offered the best chance for freedom and survival. In this lesson, students explore the choices Black and Indigenous people faced — and what freedom meant to those excluded from it at the founding of the United States.

The 19 mixer roles include:
— Phillis Wheatley, a prolific poet who, in 1774, described the “strange absurdity of colonists who “cry for liberty” from the British while supporting slavery.
—Thayendanegea (Joseph Brant), a Mohawk leader who, in 1775, urged a British official to “procure us justice” from colonists seizing land of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy.
— James Forten, a sailmaker and abolitionist leader who, as a child in 1776, took to heart the claims in the Declaration that “all men” are entitled to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” — even if its authors meant to exclude Black Americans, like him.

Download the lesson and find more resources to teach the 250th at: zinnedproject.org/american-revolution

#America250 #TeachTruth

New lesson! “Beyond Loyalists and Patriots: Black and Native Americans Fight for Their Freedom in the U.S. War of Independence,” a mixer activity by Tiferet Ani and Mimi Eisen. This lesson is part of our Teach Truth: Decolonize 1776 campaign to support educators during the 250th anniversary of the U.S. founding.

The quotes from the Declaration of Independence that most people know — that “all men are created equal” with rights to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” — are regularly cited as proof that the United States was built on a cornerstone of freedom and justice for all. But the final grievance of the Declaration tells another story. It takes aim at Black and Native Americans, defending slavery and settler colonialism in the new United States.

In the “Beyond Patriots and Loyalists” mixer, students examine the causes and impacts of the American Revolution on voices stifled or erased from its commemorations. During the U.S. War of Independence, most people couldn’t stay neutral. They had to decide which side, if either, offered the best chance for freedom and survival. In this lesson, students explore the choices Black and Indigenous people faced — and what freedom meant to those excluded from it at the founding of the United States.

The 19 mixer roles include:
— Phillis Wheatley, a prolific poet who, in 1774, described the “strange absurdity of colonists who “cry for liberty” from the British while supporting slavery.
—Thayendanegea (Joseph Brant), a Mohawk leader who, in 1775, urged a British official to “procure us justice” from colonists seizing land of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy.
— James Forten, a sailmaker and abolitionist leader who, as a child in 1776, took to heart the claims in the Declaration that “all men” are entitled to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” — even if its authors meant to exclude Black Americans, like him.

Download the lesson and find more resources to teach the 250th at: zinnedproject.org/american-revolution

#America250 #TeachTruth

New lesson! “Beyond Loyalists and Patriots: Black and Native Americans Fight for Their Freedom in the U.S. War of Independence,” a mixer activity by Tiferet Ani and Mimi Eisen. This lesson is part of our Teach Truth: Decolonize 1776 campaign to support educators during the 250th anniversary of the U.S. founding.

The quotes from the Declaration of Independence that most people know — that “all men are created equal” with rights to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” — are regularly cited as proof that the United States was built on a cornerstone of freedom and justice for all. But the final grievance of the Declaration tells another story. It takes aim at Black and Native Americans, defending slavery and settler colonialism in the new United States.

In the “Beyond Patriots and Loyalists” mixer, students examine the causes and impacts of the American Revolution on voices stifled or erased from its commemorations. During the U.S. War of Independence, most people couldn’t stay neutral. They had to decide which side, if either, offered the best chance for freedom and survival. In this lesson, students explore the choices Black and Indigenous people faced — and what freedom meant to those excluded from it at the founding of the United States.

The 19 mixer roles include:
— Phillis Wheatley, a prolific poet who, in 1774, described the “strange absurdity of colonists who “cry for liberty” from the British while supporting slavery.
—Thayendanegea (Joseph Brant), a Mohawk leader who, in 1775, urged a British official to “procure us justice” from colonists seizing land of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy.
— James Forten, a sailmaker and abolitionist leader who, as a child in 1776, took to heart the claims in the Declaration that “all men” are entitled to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” — even if its authors meant to exclude Black Americans, like him.

Download the lesson and find more resources to teach the 250th at: zinnedproject.org/american-revolution

#America250 #TeachTruth

New lesson! “Beyond Loyalists and Patriots: Black and Native Americans Fight for Their Freedom in the U.S. War of Independence,” a mixer activity by Tiferet Ani and Mimi Eisen. This lesson is part of our Teach Truth: Decolonize 1776 campaign to support educators during the 250th anniversary of the U.S. founding.

The quotes from the Declaration of Independence that most people know — that “all men are created equal” with rights to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” — are regularly cited as proof that the United States was built on a cornerstone of freedom and justice for all. But the final grievance of the Declaration tells another story. It takes aim at Black and Native Americans, defending slavery and settler colonialism in the new United States.

In the “Beyond Patriots and Loyalists” mixer, students examine the causes and impacts of the American Revolution on voices stifled or erased from its commemorations. During the U.S. War of Independence, most people couldn’t stay neutral. They had to decide which side, if either, offered the best chance for freedom and survival. In this lesson, students explore the choices Black and Indigenous people faced — and what freedom meant to those excluded from it at the founding of the United States.

The 19 mixer roles include:
— Phillis Wheatley, a prolific poet who, in 1774, described the “strange absurdity of colonists who “cry for liberty” from the British while supporting slavery.
—Thayendanegea (Joseph Brant), a Mohawk leader who, in 1775, urged a British official to “procure us justice” from colonists seizing land of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy.
— James Forten, a sailmaker and abolitionist leader who, as a child in 1776, took to heart the claims in the Declaration that “all men” are entitled to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” — even if its authors meant to exclude Black Americans, like him.

Download the lesson and find more resources to teach the 250th at: zinnedproject.org/american-revolution

#America250 #TeachTruth

New lesson! “Beyond Loyalists and Patriots: Black and Native Americans Fight for Their Freedom in the U.S. War of Independence,” a mixer activity by Tiferet Ani and Mimi Eisen. This lesson is part of our Teach Truth: Decolonize 1776 campaign to support educators during the 250th anniversary of the U.S. founding.

The quotes from the Declaration of Independence that most people know — that “all men are created equal” with rights to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” — are regularly cited as proof that the United States was built on a cornerstone of freedom and justice for all. But the final grievance of the Declaration tells another story. It takes aim at Black and Native Americans, defending slavery and settler colonialism in the new United States.

In the “Beyond Patriots and Loyalists” mixer, students examine the causes and impacts of the American Revolution on voices stifled or erased from its commemorations. During the U.S. War of Independence, most people couldn’t stay neutral. They had to decide which side, if either, offered the best chance for freedom and survival. In this lesson, students explore the choices Black and Indigenous people faced — and what freedom meant to those excluded from it at the founding of the United States.

The 19 mixer roles include:
— Phillis Wheatley, a prolific poet who, in 1774, described the “strange absurdity of colonists who “cry for liberty” from the British while supporting slavery.
—Thayendanegea (Joseph Brant), a Mohawk leader who, in 1775, urged a British official to “procure us justice” from colonists seizing land of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy.
— James Forten, a sailmaker and abolitionist leader who, as a child in 1776, took to heart the claims in the Declaration that “all men” are entitled to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” — even if its authors meant to exclude Black Americans, like him.

Download the lesson and find more resources to teach the 250th at: zinnedproject.org/american-revolution

#America250 #TeachTruth

New lesson! “Beyond Loyalists and Patriots: Black and Native Americans Fight for Their Freedom in the U.S. War of Independence,” a mixer activity by Tiferet Ani and Mimi Eisen. This lesson is part of our Teach Truth: Decolonize 1776 campaign to support educators during the 250th anniversary of the U.S. founding.

The quotes from the Declaration of Independence that most people know — that “all men are created equal” with rights to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” — are regularly cited as proof that the United States was built on a cornerstone of freedom and justice for all. But the final grievance of the Declaration tells another story. It takes aim at Black and Native Americans, defending slavery and settler colonialism in the new United States.

In the “Beyond Patriots and Loyalists” mixer, students examine the causes and impacts of the American Revolution on voices stifled or erased from its commemorations. During the U.S. War of Independence, most people couldn’t stay neutral. They had to decide which side, if either, offered the best chance for freedom and survival. In this lesson, students explore the choices Black and Indigenous people faced — and what freedom meant to those excluded from it at the founding of the United States.

The 19 mixer roles include:
— Phillis Wheatley, a prolific poet who, in 1774, described the “strange absurdity of colonists who “cry for liberty” from the British while supporting slavery.
—Thayendanegea (Joseph Brant), a Mohawk leader who, in 1775, urged a British official to “procure us justice” from colonists seizing land of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy.
— James Forten, a sailmaker and abolitionist leader who, as a child in 1776, took to heart the claims in the Declaration that “all men” are entitled to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” — even if its authors meant to exclude Black Americans, like him.

Download the lesson and find more resources to teach the 250th at: zinnedproject.org/american-revolution

#America250 #TeachTruth

New lesson! “Beyond Loyalists and Patriots: Black and Native Americans Fight for Their Freedom in the U.S. War of Independence,” a mixer activity by Tiferet Ani and Mimi Eisen. This lesson is part of our Teach Truth: Decolonize 1776 campaign to support educators during the 250th anniversary of the U.S. founding.

The quotes from the Declaration of Independence that most people know — that “all men are created equal” with rights to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” — are regularly cited as proof that the United States was built on a cornerstone of freedom and justice for all. But the final grievance of the Declaration tells another story. It takes aim at Black and Native Americans, defending slavery and settler colonialism in the new United States.

In the “Beyond Patriots and Loyalists” mixer, students examine the causes and impacts of the American Revolution on voices stifled or erased from its commemorations. During the U.S. War of Independence, most people couldn’t stay neutral. They had to decide which side, if either, offered the best chance for freedom and survival. In this lesson, students explore the choices Black and Indigenous people faced — and what freedom meant to those excluded from it at the founding of the United States.

The 19 mixer roles include:
— Phillis Wheatley, a prolific poet who, in 1774, described the “strange absurdity of colonists who “cry for liberty” from the British while supporting slavery.
—Thayendanegea (Joseph Brant), a Mohawk leader who, in 1775, urged a British official to “procure us justice” from colonists seizing land of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy.
— James Forten, a sailmaker and abolitionist leader who, as a child in 1776, took to heart the claims in the Declaration that “all men” are entitled to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” — even if its authors meant to exclude Black Americans, like him.

Download the lesson and find more resources to teach the 250th at: zinnedproject.org/american-revolution

#America250 #TeachTruth

May 18, #TDIH, is the anniversary of the historic Plessy v. Ferguson Supreme Court decision in 1896. Did you know that the case was initiated by the Comité des Citoyens, or Citizens Committee, in New Orleans?

The Comité had raised the funds, developed the strategy, secured the lawyer, and done much more to challenge racist laws.

“They hired the detective to arrest Homer Plessy so that they could get him charged with the right thing,” wrote Keith Weldon Medley in We as Freemen: Plessy v. Ferguson.

In response to the devastating Supreme Court ruling, the Comité des Citoyens stated:

"We, as freemen, still believe that we were right and our cause is sacred."

Learn more and find recommended classroom resources at the link below.

https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/plessy-v-ferguson-ruling/

May 18, #TDIH, is the anniversary of the historic Plessy v. Ferguson Supreme Court decision in 1896. Did you know that the case was initiated by the Comité des Citoyens, or Citizens Committee, in New Orleans?

The Comité had raised the funds, developed the strategy, secured the lawyer, and done much more to challenge racist laws.

“They hired the detective to arrest Homer Plessy so that they could get him charged with the right thing,” wrote Keith Weldon Medley in We as Freemen: Plessy v. Ferguson.

In response to the devastating Supreme Court ruling, the Comité des Citoyens stated:

"We, as freemen, still believe that we were right and our cause is sacred."

Learn more and find recommended classroom resources at the link below.

https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/plessy-v-ferguson-ruling/

May 18, #TDIH, is the anniversary of the historic Plessy v. Ferguson Supreme Court decision in 1896. Did you know that the case was initiated by the Comité des Citoyens, or Citizens Committee, in New Orleans?

The Comité had raised the funds, developed the strategy, secured the lawyer, and done much more to challenge racist laws.

“They hired the detective to arrest Homer Plessy so that they could get him charged with the right thing,” wrote Keith Weldon Medley in We as Freemen: Plessy v. Ferguson.

In response to the devastating Supreme Court ruling, the Comité des Citoyens stated:

"We, as freemen, still believe that we were right and our cause is sacred."

Learn more and find recommended classroom resources at the link below.

https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/plessy-v-ferguson-ruling/