“We still have a choice today: nonviolent coexistence or violent coannihilation. We must move past indecision to action. We must find new ways to speak for peace in Vietnam and justice throughout the developing world, a world that borders on our doors. If we do not act, we shall surely be dragged down the long, dark, and shameful corridors of time reserved for those who possess power without compassion, might without morality, and strength without sight...” ~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

OverviewAlthough African Americans have participated in all American wars, they have sometimes faced bitter hostility from their fellow Americans, even while risking their lives to protect American democracy. In this lesson, students will explore the complicated period of the conflict in Vietnam, focusing on the role of African Americans in the war as well asonthe discrimination they simultaneously faced at home. Through class discussion, examination of an anti-war comic book, exploration of political cartoons, and review of a less commonly studied view ofMartin Luther King, Jr. regarding war, students will study the various African Americans who protested the Vietnam Waras well as their reasons for doing so.