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Internet Exercises
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1

The civil rights movement has been a major social movement in American history. To what extent did relative deprivation play a role in the initiation of action to fight for the civil rights of African Americans? You can explore this question by browsing the online exhibits at the National Civil Rights Museum (www.civilrightsmuseum.org/).

Click on Exhibits/Gallery on the right-hand side of the page, and then Voices of Struggle. Read through the narrative information about the lives of African Americans prior to emancipation, and read about the lives of some early activists for African American civil rights.
  1. Reading about the lives of slaves in early American history, what was the nature of their relative deprivation?
  2. In what ways did slaves act out against their owners, in response to relative deprivation?
  3. In general, were the outcomes of early efforts at Black civil rights successful? Why do you think this is the case?
  4. Can you imagine yourself having a sense of relative deprivation so strong that you would risk your life or safety to address it, as these activists often did? About what issue might you feel so strongly, if any?
  5. In your view, to what extent do African Americans still experience relative deprivation today?







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