Printer-friendly versionWhat would a neighborhood survey of businesses reveal about your community?
Community Connection (Grades 7-12)
This activity encourages us to explore the contributions of African American people in business as well as the inequities and struggles that persist in this field. Have students take a look at African American business leaders in the community. Before you begin your investigation, check with your local Chamber of Commerce, which may be able to provide additional information about African American business owners in your community. Questions to guide the investigation follow.
- How many African American-owned businesses exist in your community? (And if there are not any there, account for this absence.)
- How many were there five years ago? Ten? Twenty? Fifty?
- Where are they located? (Mark locations on a map.)
- How long have they been in business? (Record data on a line graph.)
- What is the nature of each business?
- What are some of the struggles owners have encountered along the way to establishing their businesses?
- In particular, what obstacles have local African American women in business faced?
- How do government programs offer assistance? Are there factors that have impeded progress?
- In what ways do these businesses contribute to the community?
This activity is based on material in the 1998 Black History Month Learning Resource Package. Used by permission.
Celebrated Speeches (Grades 7-12)
In 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his landmark "I Have a Dream" speech to more than a quarter-million demonstrators in Washington. Share the speech with students, then guide a discussion about race relations in your own community. In what ways are the efforts of leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. evident where you live? Are minorities represented in different areas, such as politics, the police force and the school board? Are country clubs integrated? Schools -- both public and private? What evidence is there that racial harmony exists in your school? In your community? In what ways can your school and community advance race relations?
Invite students to prepare and present their own persuasive speeches about issues brought to light by the civil rights movement. Encourage children to pay special attention to the following:
- Beginning: How can you let the audience know what your
concern is? - Middle: How will you persuade others to accept your ideas?
- Ending: How can you conclude the speech in a way that leaves a strong impression on your listeners?
