Ask the Expert: Celebrating & Honoring Black History Month

• Brief Summary of Episode

  Celebrating & Honoring Black History Month

  African Americans in Las VegasAfrican Americans have played an important role in the history of Las Vegas since the city’s founding in 1905. Learn about the challenges and discrimination African Americans faced in the early years, how West Las Vegas developed, how the Las Vegas experience compared to other Nevada towns and much more.

• About the Speaker

  Expert: Cordia Gay, The Mob Museum

• Associated NV Academic Content Standards

  SS.9-12.US.14. Evaluate the impact of individuals and reform movements on the struggle for greater civil rights and liberties.

  SS.9-12.US.15. Evaluate the factors that shape group and national identity and how the American identity has evolved.

  SS.9-12.US.16. Interpret events from a variety of historical and cultural perspectives, including but not limited to: suffragettes, civil rights activists, nationalists, progressives, political activists, immigrant groups.

  SS.9-12.US.20. Explore how individuals and events in Nevada’s history both influence and are influenced by the larger national context

  SS.9-12.US.26. Examine how and why diverse groups have been denied equality and opportunity, both institutionally and informally.

  SS.9-12.US.27. Analyze how resistance movements organized and responded to oppression and infringement of civil liberties, and evaluate the impact of the responses

• Educational Resources

  This website offers a variety of lessons to expand student understanding of civil rights.

  Access a high school lesson plan for civil rights here.

• Informed Action Ideas

  Informed Action Ideas

  Conduct additional research about Nevada’s response and engagement with the civil rights of African Americans historically and now in our state. Are there discrepancies between the words of our state Constitution and the actions of communities and citizens? What needs to be done?