In 2020, the Center for Brooklyn History, in conjunction with Dr. Brian Purnell, curated Brooklyn Resists exhibition, a Public History Project that explores the history of Black Brooklynites and their stories of resistance and perseverance.
Introduction
This curriculum is an adaptation of the Brooklyn Resists (2020) exhibition. The featured case studies and contextual videos are derived from the exhibition and the Brooklyn Public Library's collections, incorporating materials that range in origin from the 1600s to the 2020s. The curriculum is divided into six separate sections, which correspond to the sections of the exhibition. This curriculum expounds the history of Black Brooklynites with the objective of tailoring the exhibition content to a social studies Scope & Sequence framework.
About this curriculum
We suggest using this curriculum with students in grades six and up. It is categorically grouped by theme and can be taught chronologically or out of order.
This curriculum is divided into the following sections:
- Prologue Lessons
- Section 1: Covenant with Color
- Section 2: Bodies on the Line
- Section 3: Education as Activism
- Section 4: Celebration as Political Demonstration
- Section 5: Alliances and Allyship
- Section 6: Too Many Names
- Epilogue Lesson
Each section includes:
- Primary sources such as newspapers, diary entries, oral histories, and photographs.
- Worksheets with questions worded to illicit an examination of sources.
- Contextual videos with related information.
Suggested Teaching Tools for Online Learning
We suggest using Padlet and Jamboard as interactive online learning tools with this curriculum. You can add the links to Padlet and have students write comments about each of the sources. With Jamboard, placing one of the primary sources on the board and/or having students listen to an oral history or watch one of the contextual videos enables them to write their thoughts on virtual post-it notes.
A special thank you to Dr. Brian Purnell, Akane Okoshi, and Jules David Bartkowski, for all of their hardwork on this curriculum. We also wish to thank Dr. Aja Lans and Nona Faustine for their time and wonderful insights. Thank you.
Upcoming Events
Summer Screenings | Gowanus Current
Join us for a screening of the documentary film Gowanus Current followed by a talkback with the filmmakers Jamie Courville and Chris Reynolds.
A century and a half of industrial waste and raw sewage has turned Brooklyn’s Gowanus Canal into one of the nation’s…
Trace/s Exhibition Tour
Come for a free curator-guided tour of the exhibition Trace/s: Family History Research and the Legacy of Slavery in Brooklyn.
Visitors will get an in-depth tour of the artwork and archival documents that make up the heart of this exhibition, and will get to explore the historical…
Trace/s Exhibition Tour
Come for a free curator-guided tour of the exhibition Trace/s: Family History Research and the Legacy of Slavery in Brooklyn.
Visitors will get an in-depth tour of the artwork and archival documents that make up the heart of this exhibition, and will get to explore the historical…
Summer Screenings | Slumlord Millionaire
Join us for a screening of Slumlord Millionaire, a powerful documentary that exposes the David-and-Goliath struggles for housing justice in New York City. The film shines a light on the ordinary Brooklyn residents whose courageous fights against powerful landlords and developers…
Trace/s Exhibition Tour
Come for a free curator-guided tour of the exhibition Trace/s: Family History Research and the Legacy of Slavery in Brooklyn.
Visitors will get an in-depth tour of the artwork and archival documents that make up the heart of this exhibition, and will get to explore the historical…
Oysters & the Archive: The Legacy of Black Foodways and Entrepreneurship in Brooklyn
For centuries, New York Harbor—including the waters around Brooklyn—was home to some of the world's most abundant oyster beds, making the city synonymous with oyster culture. Before the 20th century, when people thought of New York, they thought of oysters. This industry provided…
Trace/s Exhibition Tour
Come for a free curator-guided tour of the exhibition Trace/s: Family History Research and the Legacy of Slavery in Brooklyn.
Visitors will get an in-depth tour of the artwork and archival documents that make up the heart of this exhibition, and will get to explore the historical…
CBH Talk | Renewing Rikers: From Punishment to Possibility
The future of Rikers Island is one of New York City’s most urgent and complex political challenges. Once home to a Civil War-era military training ground, the island was purchased by the city in 1884 for $180,000 to serve as a garbage dump. In 1932, construction began on what would…
