In this lesson, students learn about the trial, conviction, and ultimate exoneration of the 10 people who made up the Wilmington 10 in North Carolina. First, they read a short backgrounder on the underlying facts of their case and the course of their trial and subsequent appeals. Then, in a jigsaw discussion activity, students analyze and report to their classmates on a mix of primary and secondary sources to learn more about the historical circumstances of the Wilmington 10 case. Finally, students discuss the documents they examined, hear about the issues raised in the documents, and discuss what lesson this chapter in US history may provide for the country today.

Many places around the world -- and around the United States -- have had moments and eras of what many people refer to as "hard history." This is history that is an guly chapter from the past that can be hard for the present generation to face. Hard history leaves a mark on groups and communities, even on entire countries.

This lesson is a supplement to any lesson or unit on the following topics: due process of law; criminal justice; school desegregation in the 1960s and 1970s; the Civil Rights Movement in the United States; struggles against racism and racist violence in the United States.