At the end of last month (August) it was the 60th anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr’s famous ‘I have a dream’ speech, made during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom held on 28 August 1963. The racism in the US at the time included segregation and discrimination that were legally entrenched; and although racism was and is globally practised, the levels of prejudice in the US Southern States seemed totally at odds in a country that espoused freedom and democracy on the international stage. The now iconic speech presenting ideas of equality, fairness and acceptance as both fanciful and achievable has become part of many western ideas to combat racism – and sadly despite being a groundbreaking and universally acclaimed speech, after 60 years that ‘dream’ has still not been achieved.

Although it is now September, we thought this anniversary was just too important to have been washed away with the August holidays, so we have made it one of this month’s features. And supporting the anniversary and the issues and times it highlights are our films on the Civil Rights era:

• An introduction to the African-American Civil Rights Movement 
• Key individuals in the African-American Civil Rights Movement
• Key groups in the African-American Civil Rights Movement
• Discussion: The significance of individuals, presidents and communities 
• Discussion: Historical memory of key individuals in the civil rights movement
• Discussion: Key organisations in the civil rights movement
• Discussion: What global events influenced the civil rights movement?
• Discussion: The significance of the federal government in its three guises from the late 1950s to the early 1970s
• Discussion: What happened next? The post Civil Rights era

Please note: films behind a paywall are available to both Historian members and Corporate Secondary members through the Student Zone.