Georgia Extension: Red Summers

Georgia Extension: Red Summers

These extensions expand the Self-Evident stories to Georgia. They start with a local case study, then ask students to compare and contrast what they see to the original story in order to draw deeper conclusions about Georgia history.

Standard:

  • SS8H7 Evaluate key political, social, and economic changes that occurred in Georgia during the New South Era.
    • b. Analyze how rights were denied to African Americans or Blacks through Jim Crow laws, Plessy v. Ferguson, disenfranchisement, and racial violence, including the 1906 Atlanta Riot.
  • SS8H8 Analyze Georgia’s participation in important events that occurred from World War I through the Great Depression.

Plan:

  1. Complete the Basic Plan for Red Summer 1 (Chicago and Elaine).
  2. Transition to your Georgia case study: “We’re going to look at what stories of the Red Summer in Georgia. What do you predict will be similar to the story we saw  in Arkansas and Chicago? What might be different? Why do you think this will be so?” Discuss a few ideas in pairs, small groups, or as a whole class.
  3. Students should learn about one of the Red Summer events in Georgia -- we recommend exploring what is known as the Jenkins County Riot in Millen, Georgia (resources here and here), which is considered the first event of the Red Summer. Have students create a Venn diagram or T-chart to compare what they see in the stories.
  4. Explore some or all of the following prompts to connect student research to the bigger issues of the Self Evident video. This could be done through discussion in pairs, small groups, as a whole class, or using a digital discussion board. Students could also do individual informal journal responses or more formal writing.
    • What are important similarities? What are important differences? What do you know about Georgia at this time that might help explain these differences?
    • Does what you looked at in Georgia have more in common with the story in Elaine or in Chicago? Why do you think that is?
    • Why do you think the first event of 1919 happened in Georgia?
    • If people know about the upswell of violence against Black people in 1919, they know about Chicago, not Elaine or what happened in Georgia. Why do you think that is?
    • How do the events of 1919 show social and economic changes during this era?
    • Why is it important for us to know about the eight events in Georgia during this summer?