A History of Civil Rights in America

Gr 7 Up—The individual liberties celebrated by Americans have resulted from two and a half centuries of dedication to the philosophy that government exists to protect—not limit—each person's right to freedom. This comprehensive series reviews that ongoing process from the Declaration of Independence through 2010's repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Each DVD is divided chronologically into two programs, each consisting of between four and six individually accessible chapters. There are examples of the expansion of liberties to a number of subpopulations of our diverse society including women, Native Americans, other ethnic/racial/religious groups, non-citizens, gays and lesbians, and others. The African-American struggle is highlighted from our country's founding through today. A rich variety of traditional artwork, archival footage, and contemporary video as well as re-enactments and personal interviews are effectively utilized. In addition, a number of civil rights leaders are profiled from Thomas Jefferson through President Obama and their individual contributions are underlined. An English-language closed captioning option is available as well a teacher's guide for each program, which includes quizzes and copies of historical/legal documents significant to that particular time period. The wide-ranging content and potential applicability of this series makes it worthy of consideration for purchase for most media collections.—Dwain Thomas, formerly Lake Park High School, Roselle, IL