Contemporary America

Explore content about the Civil Rights Movement, Vietnam War and more.
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Colored Water Fountain | Periscope
Colored Water Fountain | Periscope
Episode 2

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Ruby was born in 1954. At the time, African-American children and white children had to attend separate schools. Segregation, or the separation of African American and white people, was practiced by...
Ruby Bridges (1960) | Periscope
Ruby Bridges (1960) | Periscope
Episode 1

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Ruby Bridges' first day at William Frantz Elementary School was very unusual. Integration, or the sharing of schools by African American and white people, had recently become law in 1960. She was one...
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Legislation | Periscope
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Legislation | Periscope
Episode 6

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Dr. King's efforts would lead to wider recognition of equal rights, education and political representation for African Americans and other minorities. For his work, he earned a Nobel Peace Prize in...
March on Washington - Crowd on the Mall | Periscope
March on Washington - Crowd on the Mall | Periscope
Episode 5

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Dr. King traveled around the world giving speeches and organizing peaceful protests. He met with presidents to urge support for civil rights. His "I Have a Dream" speech was delivered in Washington, D...
Rosa Parks | Periscope
Rosa Parks | Periscope
Episode 4

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In 1955, Rosa Parks, a seamstress living in Montgomery, Alabama, wanted to peacefully demonstrate what civil rights meant to her. She was arrested for sitting at the front of the bus, a place reserved...
March on Washington | Periscope
March on Washington | Periscope
Episode 3

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Like Gandhi, Dr. King committed his life to peacefully helping people attain civil rights. Much of Dr. King's work concerned the civil rights of African Americans. During the 1950s, there were fewer...
February 1926 & February 1976 | Periscope
February 1926 & February 1976 | Periscope
Episode 8

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Fifty years apart... February 1926: First Negro History Week observed. February 1976: Negro History Week expanded by Congress to National Black History Month.