I did not realize what massive resistance was until I looked it up. At a first glance, I thought it was a positive thing, like the civil rights movement. Although it was not defined in class last night, it still sparked my interest enough to make me want to research it on my own. I did not grow up in Virginia, so it constantly amazes me how much history happened right here, both good and bad. It also boggles my mind as to the ignorance of public figures that fought to prevent racial desegregation not too long ago.
How do you teach your students that it is ok to stand up to people like Senator Byrd when they are taught to respect adults and those older than themselves? I wonder if it would be crossing the line to hold a mock protest in my classroom? I would love to have my students dive deeper into the subject and do some projects to increase their knowledge and hopefully get them more interested in history, especially the history that happened right here in Virginia.