Making More Places at the Table: A Curriculum Unit focusing on the American Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s Grade 11 -- Lesson Plan Politicians Supporting Change Through Legislation Henry B. Gonzalez, United States House of Representatives Enduring Understanding(s): The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s did not happen in political or social isolation. Many different people working in a variety of ways made important contributions that led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the other legislative and historical milestones. The use of nonviolence as a political strategy is an American tradition. The success of the Civil Rights Movement was due to both the public events that captured the hearts of the American public and the support of individuals and institutions. African Americans were not the only group to benefit from the Civil Rights Movement. Essential Question(s): TEKS: What does it take to bring more people to the table of power? How have American citizens expanded their participation in the democratic process? 7A Trace the Civil Rights Movement in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries 7B Identify Civil Rights Leaders including Martin Luther King, Jr. 18A Identify and analyze methods of expanding the right to participate in the democratic process including lobbying, protesting, court decisions, and amendments to the U.S. Constitution. 18B. Evaluate various means of achieving equality of political rights 24C Explain and apply different methods that historians use to interpret the past, including the use of primary and secondary sources, points of view, frames of reference, and historical context. Objectives: 1
The student will: 1. Read a short biography about Henry B. Gonzalez 2. Examine primary source documents from Gonzalez personal papers related to his contributions to the Civil Rights Movement. Materials: Handout: Biography of Henry B. Gonzalez Discussion Matrix Photograph of Henry B. Gonzalez shaking hands with Lyndon Johnson Documents: Copy of newsletter dated July October 1964 Copy of Congressional Record page dated June 17, 1965 Letter dated January 17, 1969 from President Johnson to HBG Letter dated December 13, 1972 from President Johnson to HBG Letter dated February 20, 1973 from Lady Bird Johnson to HBG Anticipatory Set (Attention-Getter): The teacher will: A. Display the photograph of Henry B. Gonzalez shaking hands with Lyndon Johnson B. Ask: Can you identify either of these men? What do you know about their contributions to American life? What conclusions can you draw about their relationship from the photograph? (The students could use the questions from the Images and History handout to examine this picture but not too much time should be spent on this part of the lesson.) Procedure(s): 1. The teacher will: A. Introduce the lesson: 2
The second strategy that was used to promote the Civil Rights Movement was working for change using the power that comes with election to public office. Henry B. Gonzalez served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1961 1998. 2. The students will: 3. The teacher will: A. Read the biography provided to learn more about Henry B. Gonzalez. A. Divide the class into five groups. Each group will receive a primary source document associated with Gonzalez and a matrix on which to record their answers. 4. The students will: A. Examine the documents using the APPARTS questions handout B. Complete the matrix column for the document they are examining. C. Present the document and their conclusions to the class. Each group records the answers as they are presented. Evaluation: Matrix will be evaluated on completeness and accuracy. Closure: The teacher will ask the students to develop a statement that summarizes what they learned about Henry B. Gonzalez contribution to the Civil Rights Movement. 3
11-4 Politicians Supporting Change Through Legislation Henry B. Gonzalez, United States House of Representatives There are many ways to serve the people of your country. Henry B. Gonzalez devoted his life to serving through elected office. He was born on May 3, 1916 in San Antonio, Texas and graduated from Jefferson High School, studied civil engineering for three years at the University of Texas at Austin, and graduated from St. Mary s University School of Law. In 1940, he married Bertha Cuellar and together they raised eight children. Henry B. as his friends, colleagues, and constituents affectionately knew him began his service in elective public office in 1953 when he was elected to the San Antonio City Council. He believed that all the citizens of San Antonio had the right to earn a decent living, receive a good education, and live in safe and healthy neighborhoods. While on the City Council he helped repeal city ordinances that segregated public facilities such as the swimming pools and the golf course. He worked to bring water lines into the slum areas of the city that had no running water. 4
In 1956, Mr. Gonzalez was elected to the Texas Senate. He was the first Mexican American senator in 115 years. In 1957, legislators from East Texas tried to pass a group of bills that would severely limit the civil and social rights of non-white citizens. Henry B. led a 36-hour filibuster against the bills. Because of the attention he brought to this situation only three of the bills were passed. The Texas Supreme Court later declared all three unconstitutional. When asked about his role as an advocate for the poor, Senator Gonzalez said, I don t think of myself as a do-gooder or a big crusader. I think I have always tried to keep my feet on the ground and do the practical thing. In 1961, Henry B. Gonzalez became the first Mexican American from Texas to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. When he moved into his office in Washington, D.C., he hung a sign on the door that said, This Office Belongs to the People of Bexar County. During an interview in October 1963, a reporter for Catholic Digest asked Gonzalez what advice he had for his fellow politicians. Gonzalez answered, Get out of Washington. Find out what the people are doing, how they are living. Go visit the lines in employment offices; visit the places where surplus food is distributed; sit for a day in juvenile court; visit prisons. Go to a national park and see how foresight and planning have conserved our natural resources. It could do the same for human resources. Walk around the slums and talk with the people who live in them. Even the kings of old visited their kingdoms. Henry B. practiced what he preached for the next 37 years. Henry B. was an ardent supporter of the Civil Rights Movement. He used his influence in Congress to bring attention to Texas and several other states that continued to charge a poll tax. The very first piece of legislation he introduced in congress called for outlawing the poll tax in any state. In Texas you had to pay $1.75 by January 31 of each year at a time when most 5
working people made as little as 40 and 50 cents per hour. This fee often made it too expensive for poor people, especially African Americans and Mexicans to cast their votes on Election Day. From his first days in office, Gonzalez demonstrated his commitment to providing equal opportunities to people of different genders, races, and religions. He hired a woman, Gail Beagle to serve as his Chief of Staff, when there were very few women in such positions in Congressional offices. He was also the first Congressmen, south of the Mason- Dixon line, to hire African American s for his staff. One of his caseworkers was a woman of Mexican and Chinese descent named Ella Wong. She spoke and wrote fluent Spanish and English. As President Lyndon Johnson worked to pass the Civil rights Act of 1964, Gonzalez made speeches supporting the legislation and voting to pass the bill. President Johnson later thanked Rep. Gonzalez for his help in providing greater civil and social rights to more Americans. Shortly after retiring from public office, Henry B. Gonzalez died on November 28, 2000. At his memorial service, which was televised live on San Antonio television stations, U.S. Representative Kika de la Garza said, He was a man of the people. There was no high, no low, no rich, no poor, no black, no white. They were all children of God. 6
APPARTS: Using Primary Source Documents To establish the historical context of a document it is necessary to ask certain questions. Author Place and Time Prior Knowledge Audience Reason Who created the source? What do you know about the author? What is the author s point of view? Where and when was the source produced? How might this affect the meaning of the source? Beyond information about the author and the context of its creation, what do you know that would help you further understand the primary source? For example, do you recognize any symbols and recall what they represent? For whom was the source created and how might this affect the reliability of the source? Why was this source produced at the time it was produced? What point is the source trying to convey? The Main Idea Significance Why is this source important? What inferences can you draw from this document? Ask yourself, So what? in relation to the question asked. 7
11-4 Discussion Matrix for Gonzalez Primary Source Documents Student Copy Each group will examine one of the Gonzalez documents and record their answers in the column that represents their document. Each group will share their findings and record the findings of the other groups. Author July-Oct, 1964 June 17, 1965 January 17, 1969 December 13, 1972 February 20, 1973 Place and Time Prior Knowledge Audience Reason The Main Idea 8
11-4 Discussion Matrix for Gonzalez Primary Source Documents Teacher Copy (These answers are basic suggestions, accept any reasonable answer.) Each group will examine one of the Gonzalez documents and record their answers in the column that represents their document. Each group will share their findings and record the findings of the other groups. Author July-Oct, 1964 Gonzalez staff June 17, 1965 January 17, 1969 Rep. Henry President B. Gonzalez Lyndon B. Johnson December 13, 1972 Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson February 20, 1973 Lady Bird Johnson, Place and Time July- October, 1964 1741 New House Office Building Washington, D.C. Read into the Congressional Record on Thursday, June 17, 1965 The White House, January 17, 1969. Austin, Texas Dec. 13, 1972 Stonewall, Texas, the LBJ ranch, Feb. 20, 1973 Prior Knowledge Audience The constituency of The 20 th Congressional district of Bexar, County, Texas The entire U.S. population as the Congressional Record is a federal document Henry B. Gonzalez Henry B. Gonzalez Gonzalez Reason To keep citizens informed of To recognize the contributions To thank HBG for working with To express his regard and To thank HBG for the tribute before the 9
The Main Idea Significance Gonzalez position on the issues as they relate to the people of his district To update the constituency on the progress made on the legislative agenda laid out by President Kennedy Records the work of Gonzalez and the 88 th Congress. of Mexican Americans to the United States Congress should recognize the contributions of immigrants from the Southern borders of the U.S. as well as the immigrants into Ellis Island. Shows that Rep. Gonzalez valued and thought American people should value the contributions of Mexicans to America. President Johnson to pass legislation that brought greater Civil Rights to more Americans. During Pres. Johnson s term in office progress had been made on many fronts to bring greater Civil Rights to more Americans. LBJ is recognizing HBG s contributions to the Civil Rights Movement. admiration for HBG and to thank him for his eloquent speech at the Civil Rights Symposium. Recognition of the friendship and the shared work these two men contributed to the advancement of Civil Rights for all Americans. The two men continued to work for Civil Rights even after Pres. Johnson left office. House of Representatives in honor of LBJ after he died. To recognize the friendship of the two men and to thank HBG for speaking about the work that was still to be done. Mrs. Johnson recognized the relationship between the men and the work they had done together. 10