Students are often taught the history of American slavery, but this is often devoid of the history of racism and the direct ties between the two. This has been true in my own teaching. As a result, in this unit I aim to help students see this connection, hopefully helping them understand how Americans justified the enslavement of Africans and how some of these same ideas continue to perpetuate systemic racism in our country today. Ultimately, the goal of this unit is to have students gain a more holistic understanding of the connection between slavery and the growth of racism and white supremacy in the United States and the continued legacies today, so that students can investigate ways to become change agents to combat systemic racism. Within this unit, students will be introduced to the history of slavery in the United States and will focus on the system’s connections to the growth of racism and white supremacy. Students will explore the evolution of slavery in America as well as the various justifications for this institution. Lastly, students will explore the connection between slavery and systemic racism in the United States today and they ways that people taking a stand against it.
(Developed for Social Studies, grade 8; recommended for Social Studies, Middle School grades, and U. S. History, High School grades)
