LibGuides: 8th Grade Social Justice Trip: Home

Guidelines for Research and Reflection

Welcome to the Social Justice Trip LibGuide. We will use the resources listed below to prepare for and to reflect upon our trip.

1) Search the databases and websites linked below for your topic. Remember to try alternate search terms.

2) When using a search engine to find additional sources, be critical of the sources you find.

Use the ABCs of website evaluation to determine if the source is credible:

A = Authority Who is the author or which organization created the website? Are they experts in United States history? How do you know?

B = Bias Is the website biased by its creator's purpose or mission? What can you tell about the purpose of the site based on the domain name (.com, .edu, .gov, .org)?

C = Current Content Was the content created recently enough for your research needs?

3) Use NoodleTools to track your citations and take notes. Use your RPCS email to log in.

Please email Ms. Fox or visit her in the library if you need help!

Kehinde Wiley created Rumors of War in response to the line of Confederate statues on Monument Avenue in Richmond, Va.

Travis Fullerton/Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

Day 1, Blandford Church Museum and Cemetery

Blandford Cemetery
Read a description of the cemetery from the Historic Petersburg Foundation.
Blandford Church and Cemetery
Brief description from American Battlefields Trust.
How the Word Is Passed
Scroll down to section IV. Blandford Cemetery to read an excerpt of Clint Smith's book about the history and legacy of slavery across the nation, in which he visits Blandford Cemetery.

Day 1, Robert Russa Moton Museum

Barbara Johns: The US' forgotten civil rights hero
BBC article which discusses the Civil Rights Memorial in Richmond and the Barbara Johns statue at the Capitol building
Brown v. Board of Education: Virginia Responds
Virtual exhibit via the Library of Virginia
Robert Russa Moton Museum
Farmville, Virginia's former Robert Russa Moton High School, now a National Historical Landmark and museum, is the birthplace of America's student-led Civil Rights Revolution.
School Desegregation in Virginia
A guide to published and digital resources related to the history of school desegregation in Virginia via the Library of Virginia

Relevant General Websites

BlackPast.org
This reference center with 7,913 posts is dedicated to providing information to the general public on African American history and the history of more than one billion people of African ancestry around the world.
Civil Rights Movement Topics: Women's Leadership, Legal Battles, Organizations, Nonviolent Protest, Black Power, Resistance and Backlash
Via the Digital Public Library of America
Equal Justice Initiative
The Equal Justice Initiative is committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, to challenging racial and economic injustice, and to protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Encyclopedia
The Encyclopedia, compiled by Stanford University, is based on the extensive historical research originally conducted for The Papers and has over 280 articles on civil rights movement figures, events, and organizations. It also offers a detailed day-to-day chronology of King's life, drawn from the volumes.
SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference
Learn about the history of the SCLC from their website.
SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference)
Learn more about the history of SCLC via this page from the King Institute at Stanford
SNCC Digital Gateway, Learn from the Past, Organize for the Future
The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) was the only national civil rights organization led by young people.
Songs of the Civil Rights Movement
Southern Poverty Law Center
The SPLC is a catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond, working in partnership with communities to dismantle white supremacy, strengthen intersectional movements, and advance the human rights of all people.

Day 2, Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia

Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia

Day 2, Jackson Ward, Richmond VA

Exploring Jackson Ward
Includes 3 video clips about the area
Gary Flowers Bio
Provides a brief biography of our tour guide, Richmond native historian and activist, Gary Flowers
Jackson Ward and its Black Wall Street
Via the National Park Service
Jackson Ward Collection Foundation
The JWC Foundation is dedicated to supporting current and aspiring Black business owners in the Richmond, Virginia region.
JXN Project
The JXN Project, which received Historic Richmond's 2021 Golden Hammer Award for "Best Placemaking", is working to honestly and accurately capture the pivotal role of Richmond, Virginia in the evolution of the Black American experience.
JXN Project examines the history of one of the first Black urban neighborhoods
Video news story from PBS Newshour about the JXN Project and the history of Jackson Ward

Day 2, Resources about Monuments (and Removal of Monuments) in Richmond

Arthur Ashe: Black man’s statue is the lone monument standing on historic street in former capital of the Confederacy
Via CNN, provides context about Arthur Ashe statue and the removal of Confederate statues.
Arthur Ashe: Where the Confederates Fell, Arthur Ashe Still Stands
Via Sports Illustrated, provides history on Arthur Ashe and Monument Avenue.
Barbara Johns: The US' forgotten civil rights hero
BBC article which discusses the Civil Rights Memorial in Richmond and the Barbara Johns statue at the Capitol building
How the Monuments Came Down video series
Via Public Television, scroll down for video clips about the history of confederate monuments and their removal in Richmond.
Kehinde Wiley:'Rumors Of War' In Richmond Marks A Monumentally Unequal America
VIA NPR, provides context for Wiley's Rumors of War statue. Note that article is dated June 25, 2020.
Kehinde Wiley: Rumors of War Sculpture at VMFA
Description of the Sculpture from the VMFA
Maggie L. Walker Statue: Video
See how descendants, community groups, and a National Park Service site worked together to establish a monument to Maggie L. Walker, an African American leader from Richmond, Virginia.
Maggie Walker Memorial Plaza
Via the National Park Service
Richmond Removes Its Last City-Owned Confederate Monument
Via Sarah Kuta for Smithsonian Magazine
Virginia Civil Rights Monument (origins and mention of Capitol statues)
2021 statement from Senator Mark Warner

Day 2, Ben's Chili Bowl

Our Story: history of Ben's Chili Bowl
Scroll down for a timeline with pictures of significant historical events and how the owners of Ben's Chili Bowl played a role.

Day 2, Memorials in Washington, DC

Abraham Lincoln Memorial, DC
Via the National Parks Service
Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, DC
Information about the memorial and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Thomas Jefferson Memorial, DC
Via the National Park Service
300 Black History Sites in Washington DC: ARCGIS
Explore interactive maps of the city with information about important historical sites.

Day 3, Supreme Court and the role of the Court in Civil Rights Cases

About the Court
Includes information about current and past justices
Brown v. Board of Education: the Case that Changed America
Via the Legal Defense Fund, includes details about the case
Current Docket of Civil Rights Cases in the Supreme Court
Via the ACLU
How Thurgood Marshall became the first Black U.S. Supreme Court justice
Via National Geographic
Laws and Court Cases
Via the National Archives
Loving v. Virginia
Supreme Court Strikes Down Civil Rights Act, 1883
Via the Equal Justice Initiative
Two Landmark Decisions in the Fight for Equality and Justice
Via the National Museum of African American History and Culture
Visiting the Court
Includes information about what you can see, prohibited items, maps, and etiquette.

Day 3, U.S. Capitol Building

Becoming Statuary Hall: 1857–Present
Provides history of Statuary Hall
Evolution of Women in Art at the U.S. Capitol
Via the Architect of the Capitol
The House Votes To Remove Confederate Statues In The U.S. Capitol
2021 article via NPR
Maryland artist chosen to create U.S. Capitol statue of teen who fought segregation
Story about statue honoring Barbara Johns Via NPR
National Statuary Hall Collection
Via the Architect of the Capitol
Statues in Statuary Hall
U.S. Capitol has at least three times as many statues of Confederate figures as it does of black people
2017 article via The Washington Post, provides context and questions about statuary hall

Day 3, National Museum of African American History and Culture

Current Special Exhibitions

Helpful Databases (many CRM people and events can be found here)

African American History This link opens in a new window
Covering more than 500 years of the African-American experience, African-American History offers a fresh way to explore the full spectrum of African-American history and culture. Users can start their investigation of a topic with a video or slideshow overview, use the key content called out on the home page to find an entryway into the database, or dig deep into a subject or era through the Topic Centers.

Username: ropark
Password: facts
American History This link opens in a new window
Primary documents and reference articles on American history from the era of early exploration (1350) to the present.

Username: rolandstudent
Password: student
ProQuest Historical Newspapers This link opens in a new window
Includes full-text articles from the following newspapers: The Christian Science Monitor (1908 - 2004), The New York Times (1851 - 2014), The Baltimore Afro-American (1893-1988), and The Washington Post (1877 - 2001).

Username: rpcs2016
Password: rpcs2016#
U.S. History in Context This link opens in a new window
Gale In Context: U.S. History is an engaging experience for those seeking contextual information on hundreds of the most significant people, events, and topics in U.S. history. This comprehensive, contextual, media-rich collection empowers learners to develop information literacy and critical thinking skills
Username: balt23720
Password: balt23720