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The Civil Rights Movement and the Philosophy of Non-Violent Protest FLEX

This course analyzes how humans responded to injustice, focusing its lens on the civil rights movement and in particular forms of non violent protest and civil disobedience.
Kirsten Bowman JD
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:
(765)
Popular
Class

What's included

Homework
2-4 hours per week. There will be homework assigned each week based on the materials given. Learners will present their homework in class and engage in online discussion and debate. Beyond the weekly homework, there will be one final project to be posted for critical analysis from all the learners.
Assessment
If requested, grades and assessments are available. All assignments must be completed in order to receive grade or assessment.
Grading
If requested, grades and assessments are available. All assignments must be completed in order to receive grade or assessment.

Class Experience

US Grade 6 - 9
Individuals, groups and nations have responded to injustice throughout history. The purpose of this course is to look at one particular approach to responding to injustice: the strategy of nonviolence through the lens of its application in the American civil rights movement. 

During the first class learners will understand the goals and rationale that provided a foundation for the philosophy of nonviolence as advocated by activists in the civil rights movement, including James Lawson, Martin Luther King Jr., Diane Nash, Bayard Rustin, John Lewis, Ella Baker the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and many others.

The second and third classes explore how this philosophy played out in practice throughout the civil rights movement. In the second class learners become familiar with the overall strategy of nonviolence by identifying how these steps played out during one important struggle of the civil rights movement: the student protests in Nashville to end segregation. The third class focuses on the direct action tactics of nonviolence used at different points during the civil rights movement. Learners will come away from these three lessons understanding the ways individuals and groups can apply the philosophy and practice of nonviolence to inform contemporary struggles against violence and injustice.

In the fourth and final class in this course learners will compare this model of advocacy to other forms of protest including some of those advocated by leaders such as Malcolm X in order to analyze which models and modes of civil action are most effective and the challenges that various forms of civil action may face. This final class will provide the learner a framework to critically analyze various forms of civil action to assist them in a determination of which forms of civil action may be the best in a given set of circumstances.

Learners will engage in this learning via many modalities.  First, via video lecture from the teacher.  Secondly, through outside readings, including, among others, primary source materials and video links of those who created and led the civil rights movement.  Third, learners will engage through online discussions based on carefully crafted prompts designed to engage critical thinking.  Fourth, learners will engage in project based learning to engage critical thinking on social theory.   

The FLEX format of this course can provide a more personal learning experience between teacher and learner.  As the learner submits assignments, the teacher and learner may engage in discussion either through posts or through asynchronies video posts.  The value in this format is that it can allow for a more individualized attention and interaction.
Learning Goals
The purpose of these lessons is to help students

Understand the philosophy of nonviolence
Understand nonviolence in practice
Explore how the philosophy and practice of nonviolence played out during various moments in the civil rights movement
Understand how the philosophy and practice of nonviolence can inform contemporary struggles against injustice and violence
Critically compare and contrast nonviolent forms of social injustice movements with other types of protest
learning goal

Other Details

Parental Guidance
Mature themes involving civil rights, protest and civil action will be discussed throughout the course. The final course will introduce to the learners other forms of protest, which may include more violent forms, in order to compare and contrast the various methods used to achieve social change.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined May, 2018
4.9
765reviews
Popular
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
I am a human rights lawyer and have engaged in this material for decades.  As well, I have taught this theory at the University level, in law school and now on Outschool for the past two years in the Live version of this class.  

Reviews

Live Group Class
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$50

for 4 weeks
4 weeks

Completed by 31 learners
No live video meetings
Ages: 11-16

This class is no longer offered
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