North Carolina’s history is rich with stories of African Americans’ leadership, service and contributions in the face of adversity. In this lesson, students will explore the contributions African Americans have made to North Carolina by examining the “SERVICE” mural commissioned by the School of Government at UNC-Chapel Hill. The mural, which depicts key African-American leaders in North Carolina, is a stunning visual for teaching students about our state’s history. After examining and interpreting the mural in small groups and through class discussion, students will choose and research one of the figures pictured in the mural. Studentswill then apply what they have learned by writing a monologue about the figure, from the perspective of a fictional “best friend,” and share about the figure’s life and accomplishments. The project will culminate with students presenting their monologue about these North Carolina leaders from the past.

The accompanying PPT can be found here.