CGGS Library: History: American Civil Rights

Books from our collection

Here are some of the books and eBooks in the Library collection on American Civil Rights topics. Find more by searching the catalogue (link below).

Library catalogue (Oliver)
Use the Library catalogue to search for books and other resources. Find out more on the Read page.

Print books

Martin Luther King by Godfrey Hodgson
Call Number: 323.4 HOD
ISBN: 9781849162623
Publication Date: 2016
Martin Luther King left an indelible mark on 20th-century American history through his leadership of the non-violent civil rights campaigns of the 1950s and 1960s. The election of Barack Obama as America's first black president in November 2008 has spawned a renewed interest in King's role as an agent and prophet of political change in the United States. Writing with verve and clarity but also with acute insight, Godfrey Hodgson traces King's life and career from his birth in Atlanta in 1929, through the campaigns that made possible the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, to his assassination in Memphis in 1968.
The autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X & Haley, Alex
Call Number: 923 MAL
ISBN: 9780141032726
Publication Date: 2007
The Autobiography of Malcolm X was published in 1965, the result of a collaboration between human rights activist Malcolm X and journalist Alex Haley. Haley coauthored the autobiography based on a series of in-depth interviews he conducted between 1963 and Malcolm X's 1965 assassination.
The Struggle for Black Equality by Harvard Sitkoff
Call Number: 323.1196 SIT
ISBN: 9780809089246
Publication Date: 2008
The Struggle for Black Equality is a dramatic, memorable history of the civil rights movement. Harvard Sitkoff offers both a brilliant interpretation of the personalities and dynamics of civil rights organizations and a compelling analysis of the continuing problems plaguing many African Americans. With a new foreword and afterword, and an up-to-date bibliography, this anniversary edition highlights the continuing significance of the movement for black equality and justice.
Civil Rights for Beginners by Paul Von Blum;
Call Number: 323.1196 VON
ISBN: 9781934389898
Publication Date: 2016
Civil Rights For Beginners focuses less on major leaders and more on the ordinary African Americans who provided the backbone of the successful protests and demonstrations. Moreover, it deals with the expressive culture of the movement, surveying key developments in literature, music, visual art, and film, all of which served both as integral features of the movement as well as contributing to its enduring legacy.
Black History for Beginners by Denise Dennis; Susan Willmarth (Illustrator)
Call Number: 973 DEN
ISBN: 9781934389195
Publication Date: 2007
lack History For Beginners covers a rich but often ignored history and chronicles the black struggle from capture and enslavement in Africa through the Civil Rights movement and up to today and the new and different kinds of struggles that black people face today.

eBooks

The Civil Rights Movement by Tim McNeese
Call Number: eBook
ISBN: 9781438180342
Publication Date: 2009
Brown v Board of Education of Topeka case of 1954, declared that separate educational facilities were inherently unequal and therefore unconstitutional, the civil rights movement began to gain momentum. This book spotlights the rise of the civil rights movement, offering a look at one of the remarkable and influential movements in US history.
Martin Luther King, Jr by Robert E. Jakoubek; Heather Lehr Wagner
Call Number: eBook
ISBN: 9781438100906
Publication Date: 2009
Critically acclaimed biographies of history's most notable African-Americans * Straightforward and objective writing * Lavishly illustrated with photographs and memorabilia * Essential for multicultural studies

Pictures

Search these sites for images you can use freely.

Important information

Guidelines for Written Work Years 7-10 2023 Guidelines for students in Years 7-10. Topics addressed include: • Guided inquiry • APA referencing • Example of a reference list • In-text referencing for beginners • Writing practical reports for Science • Citing different information types

In-text referencing

Online Reference Generator for APA style
Use your school email address to login if you'd like to save and retrieve your citations and reference lists.
Annotated bibliographies

Audiovisual material

See below for a playlist of videos about American civil rights. Remember that you can also search for additional videos related to your assignment topic by entering keywords in the search bar, which can be found in the top right hand corner of the page.

ClickView Playlist: American Civil Rights
Click here for a playlist of videos about American civil rights. You will need to log in using your school ID and password.

How to use ClickView

History Today and Christian History - back issues

We subscribe to the hard copy of these wonderful journals. Check the Oliver catalogue to find the issue you want.

Search History Today's own website for references to articles. When you log into History Today using the login details on our Canvas page you can access the full article straight away.

Databases

These links take you to databases we subscribe to. Some may need a login and password. These can be found on our Canvas page.

Infobase eBooks This link opens in a new window
A collection of non-fiction e-books that cover all topic areas. These resources range from encyclopaedias to subject and topic specific information. Access these books directly on your devise by exploring via topic area or using the search bar with key words.
Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
A broad collection of non-fiction titles, supporting all subject areas. These non-fiction titles have varied reading levels and are useful for students from Years 7 to 12.
Modern World History This link opens in a new window
Explore world history from the mid-15th century to the present. Thousands of subject entries including biographies, images, videos and slideshows, maps and graphs, primary sources, and timelines. These resources provide information on people, places, events, and ideas that have defined modern world history.
Gale in Context: High School This link opens in a new window
Information resources for assignments, projects, and presentations across all subject areas. An excellent resource to start your search for information for Years 7-12.
Gale Academic OneFile This link opens in a new window
Search over 17,000 publications from scholarly journals and other authoritative sources covering biology, chemistry, criminal justice, economics, environmental sciences, history, marketing, political sciences, and psychology. Access articles from Nature, the Economist, the New York Times, and thousands of podcasts and transcripts from NPR and CNN as well as videos from BBC.
Gale in Context: World History This link opens in a new window
From the Ancient World to today's headlines, World History provides primary sources, reliable reference, and multi-media content. This database is useful when looking for a historical understanding of a topic and in History subjects.
Britannica This link opens in a new window
Britannica is a fantastic starting point to get a general understanding of a topic.
You will notice that there are 3 options to click from when you first log in.
If you are in Year 7-8 consider starting with the middle level. for Years 9-12 go to the high option.
To access Britannica from home go the the library Canvas page and click on the link Britannica Home Access. If you are prompted for a password these are also on Canvas.
Directory of Open Access Journals This link opens in a new window
DOAJ is a community-curated online directory that indexes and provides access to high quality, open access, peer-reviewed journals.

Websites

These are websites we recommend for this subject. Let us know if you find any more we could add.

Libraries ACT Research sources
The ACT Library Service provides a wide range of online databases. Use your ACT Library membership to search via their website.
National Library eResources
Use your National Library membership number to logon or ask CGGS Library staff for help.
Use the single search option to search all of the databases or select a single database, such as JSTOR.
The 20th Century Expansion of Legal Rights - Modern Hostory Sourcebook
Black Power - Modern History Sourcebook
American History » Civil Rights Movement
Civil Rights - PBS Learning Media
Look at the subpages associated with this main page.
You can access videos, documents, images and more.
The Civil Rights Movement: 1919-1960s
Provided by the National Humanities Center.
The Civil Rights Movement: 1968-2008
Provided by National Humanities Center.
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute - Resources
Provided by Stanford University
African American History - Black Past
Use the search bar to find articles relating to your topic.
All articles undergo a vetting process and authors need appropriate academic qualifications or a family history/connection to the topic written about.
Dr Martin Luther King Jr - NAACP
Rights and Freedoms - ABC Education
This playlist by ABC looks at both American and Australian civil rights. you will need to look through it carefully to find the relevant videos.
Black Power - National Archives (USA)