“Through the critical analysis of a range of cultural objects—including album covers, photographs, letters, newspaper clippings, and visual art—students will investigate and challenge the relationship between race, freedom, and the nation and consider Black activists’ radical propositions for a more liberatory future.”
—Lauren O’Brien, Curriculum Writer
Download the Curriculum Guide
Grades 7–12
The curriculum guide is designed for students in grades 7–12 and is divided into three primary source investigations that offer model questions and activities for guided discovery and discussion. The guide begins with a warm-up activity to get students thinking about the central topic of the curriculum guide and ends with summative activities to tie the themes together.
What You’ll Explore in the Guide
This curriculum guide draws from materials in the research collections at the Schomburg Center, including the following items from the Jean Blackwell Hutson Research and Reference Division, the Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division, and the Art and Artifacts Division. Find transcripts of the primary source documents that students will engage with in this guide:
Looking to dig deeper? Contact us to learn even more ways for you and your students to engage with the Schomburg Center’s collections: schomburged@nypl.org.
Nadinola Ads (1953 & 1970)
Print culture often offers a glimpse into dominant societal beauty standards of a particular time. The featured primary sources are commercial advertisements printed in prominent magazines Ebony and Jet. Together, they trace the visual evolution of Black beauty standards from the 1950s to the 1970s.
Naturally ‘68 (1968)
Organized by African Jazz-Art Society and Studios, an organization co-founded by Harlem brothers Kwame Brathwaite and Elombe Brath, the “Naturally” fashion shows featured a special cohort of Black women—known as the Grandassa Models—who had complexions ranging “from medium brown to dark chocolate; . . . full lips and noses; . . . [and] hair in styles that highlighted its kinky texture.” As activists, the Grandassa Models strived to embody Black beauty, promoting Black pride and challenging eurocentric standards.
Buttons
Like most social and political movements, the Black Power movement adopted mantras and slogans that sought to unify Black people and inspire Black pride. Wearing political buttons like those in this primary source set was one way to show their pride. Phrases like “Say it Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud” and “Black is Beautiful” freed Black skin, hair, and culture from white supremacist ideas of Black inferiority.
Watch: Kwame Brathwaite’s 'Black Is Beautiful' Book Launch
Listen to Kwame Brathwaite discuss how he popularized the political slogan “Black is Beautiful” at his book launch at NYPL’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture on May 14, 2019.
Teaching with the Schomburg Center’s Archives: Find All Units and Guides
Discover the full curriculum series! Access all units and guides that draw on archival sources at the Schomburg Center to teach Black history, experience, and culture.
-
Discover the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
Learn MoreThe Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem, one of The New York Public Library’s renowned research libraries, is a world-leading cultural institution devoted to the research, preservation, and exhibition of materials focused on African American, African Diaspora, and African experiences.
-
Explore the Center for Educators & Schools
Learn MoreThe New York Public Library’s Center for Educators and Schools is devoted to making all of the Library’s resources accessible and useful for educators. You’ll find programs and services tailored for the educator community, such as book lists, credit-bearing workshops, special access to exhibitions, tips on teaching with primary source materials from our vast research collections, and much more.
Thank You
This project was made possible in part by a grant to the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture by the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences, MH-00-19-0031-19.
The work of the Center for Educators and Schools is part of the Library’s overall commitment to our branch patrons and education programs, led by the Merryl H. and James S. Tisch Director of The New York Public Library. Major support for educational programming is provided by Merryl H. and James S. Tisch.
The Center for Educators and Schools is supported in part by a generous grant from the Hearst Foundations.
