Margins
Changing Laws book cover
Changing Laws
Politics of the Civil Rights Era
2020
First Published
4.67
Average Rating
112
Number of Pages
A deep dive into the politics of the Civil Rights Era, including the passing of new laws and the presidential responses to protest. A terrific way for kids ages 12 to 15 to learn about the Civil Rights Movement, especially as the Black Lives Matter movement grows across the United States. "We shall overcome" was the refrain of the Civil Rights Movement, but overcoming centuries of discrimination was not easy. When the activism of civil rights protestors exposed the rampant racism embedded in America’s politics for the world to see, political leaders in the federal government were forced to act. In Changing Politics of the Civil Rights Era, students ages 12 to 15 explore the key legislative and judicial victories of the era that spanned from 1954 to the early 1970s. The successes of Brown v. the Board of Education, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Fair Housing Act of 1968 were the results of African American activism and a growing awareness of social justice and injustice. Marches, demonstrations, boycotts, and lawsuits prodded local and state governments to reveal the bigotry of their laws and the brutality of their oppression of black citizens. As racial tensions ripped the country apart, presidents from Eisenhower through Nixon worked to uphold the U.S. Constitution, sometimes willingly and sometimes reluctantly. As members of Congress debated and negotiated, change came slowly. Schools, restaurants, and polling stations all opened their doors to African Americans. But victory was incomplete and came at a price. And today, we’re seeing that the job is still unfinished, as protestors take to the streets and make their voices heard in a call for anti-racism at all levels of society. In this book, hands-on projects and research activities alongside essential questions, links to online resources, and text-to-world connections promote a profound understanding of history and offer opportunities for social-emotional learning. Changing Politics of the Civil Rights Era is part of a new series from Nomad Press, The Civil Rights Era, that captures the passion and conviction of the 1950s and ‘60s. Other titles in this set include Boycotts, Strikes, and Protests of the Civil Rights Era ; Sitting In, Standing Leaders of the Civil Rights Era ; and Singing for Musicians of the Civil Rights Era .
Avg Rating
4.67
Number of Ratings
6
5 STARS
67%
4 STARS
33%
3 STARS
0%
2 STARS
0%
1 STARS
0%
goodreads

Author

Judy Dodge Cummings
Judy Dodge Cummings
Author · 2 books
Judy Dodge Cummings has published 21 books for the school and library market, most of them on historical topics. She was a high school history teacher for 26 years and has a MFA in Creative Writing for Children and Teenagers from Hamline University. Judy's favorite way to research history is through the soles of her feet–meandering through museums, racing up redoubts, and rambling through historic ruins. The number one item on her bucket list is time travel!
548 Market St PMB 65688, San Francisco California 94104-5401 USA
© 2025 Paratext Inc. All rights reserved