Past Institutes

Teaching African American History Webinars (Spring 2021)

In the spring of 2021, Humanities Texas held several webinars for secondary-level social studies teachers focused on helping students better understand African American history.

Race and Manifest Destiny

Monday, February 1, 2021
5:00–6:15 p.m. CT

This webinar explored how Americans understood race in the mid-nineteenth century and how that understanding shaped popular attitudes toward the nation’s expansion to the Pacific Ocean.

Faculty for this session included Daina Ramey Berry, professor and chair of the Department of History, and Keffrelyn D. Brown and Anthony L. Brown, professors in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at The University of Texas at Austin.

Race and the Aftermath of the Civil Rights Movement

Thursday, March 11, 2021
5:00–6:15 p.m. CT

This webinar examined how American attitudes toward race and citizenship changed following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968 and in what ways race was a significant factor in the major societal issues of the 1970s and 1980s.

Faculty for this session included Daina Ramey Berry, professor and chair of the Department of History, and Keffrelyn D. Brown and Anthony L. Brown, professors in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at The University of Texas at Austin.

The Difference Black History Knowledge Can Make

Thursday, March 25, 2021
5:00–6:30 p.m. CT

This presentation defined essential components of Black history knowledge and the psychological impact of teaching this information to students, particularly those who identify as Black/African American. Particular attention was given to psychosocial development and how Black history knowledge can positively impact it. Teachers received and discussed TEKS-aligned strategies for effectively implementing such knowledge into their curriculum (with attention given to contemporary issues of racial injustice) as well as potentially helpful (and developmentally appropriate) ways to facilitate productive classroom discussions based on these topics.

Faculty for this session included Andrea Holman, associate professor of psychology at Huston-Tillotson University, and Collette Chapman-Hilliard, associate professor of counseling psychology and mental health counseling at the University of Georgia.

Contemporary Social Movements in Context (11th Grade)

Wednesday, May 5, 2021
5:00–6:15 p.m. CT

This webinar examined contemporary events within the context of social movements in the U.S. since 1877, considering how earlier movements—such as those for women’s suffrage and African American and Latino American civil rights—can help students understand the dynamics of our current moment.

Faculty for this session included Daina Ramey Berry, professor and chair of the Department of History, and Keffrelyn D. Brown and Anthony L. Brown, professors in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at The University of Texas at Austin.

Contemporary Social Movements in Context (8th Grade)

Wednesday, May 12, 2021
5:00–6:15 p.m. CT

This webinar examined contemporary events within the context of social movements from the Founding Period to Reconstruction, considering how earlier movements—such as the Great Awakening and abolition movement—can help students understand the dynamics of our current moment.

Faculty for this session included Daina Ramey Berry, professor and chair of the Department of History, and Keffrelyn D. Brown and Anthony L. Brown, professors in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at The University of Texas at Austin.

Sponsors

These webinars were made possible with major funding from the State of Texas, with ongoing support from the National Endowment for the Humanities.