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Community of Practice on Equality

Community of Practice on Equality

About

The Equality Community of Practice explores the African American civil rights movement as a grassroots struggle for the combination of civil and human rights — or freedom rights — denied them during slavery and suppressed under Jim Crow. Grounded in historical scholarship, this Community of Practice centers the activism of everyday Black people and the organizers who helped them challenge injustice and reshape American democracy. Participants will examine key campaigns, legislation and ideological shifts from Reconstruction through the Black Power era, while developing the tools and strategies needed to teach this history with depth, accuracy and relevance. The program will culminate with an on-campus capstone event.

Community of Practice Curriculum

We begin by examining how African Americans, in the aftermath of emancipation, organized to claim the civil and human rights — freedom rights — that had been denied them under slavery. In doing so, they established a political agenda that would shape the Black freedom struggle for generations.

This session explores the rise and entrenchment of Jim Crow segregation after Reconstruction, focusing on how white supremacy shaped law and policy, how racial terror defined daily Black life and how Black resistance endured despite systemic oppression.

We investigate the organizing strategies that laid the foundation for the modern Civil Rights Movement, including efforts to end segregation and discrimination in housing, education, employment, and public transportation.

This session examines the leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., from Montgomery to Memphis, analyzing both his strategic vision and the limits of his influence within a broader, community-driven movement.

We trace the origin and evolution of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), highlighting how young activists advanced nonviolent direct action and participatory democracy to push the movement forward from the ground up.

We conclude with the emergence of Black Power, exploring its philosophical and tactical development, its impact on Black political identity, and its role in continuing the struggle for justice beyond the 1960s.

About the facilitator

Smiling woman

Maria Hammack is an assistant professor of African American history at The Ohio State University. She is a Mexican scholar and public historian whose work bridges the histories of liberation and abolition that shaped the US, Mexico and Canada. Her book, Channels of Liberation: Freedom Fighters in the Age of Abolition reexamines Underground Railroad actors, timelines and geographies of Black Liberation in North America through the experiences of Black Americans, principally women, who left the US to claim freedom in Mexican spaces. 

Additional Information

If you’re a district leader or an educator in any Central Ohio district, please complete the nomination/application webform. 

The program offers each participating educator a modest stipend as well as textbooks and other resources. There is no cost for the teachers to participate. Stipends will be disbursed following the successful completion of the institute.

  • Which educators would benefit from participating in the Difficult Subjects Institute?
    Any K-12 educator would benefit from the program. Institute workshops are at the heart of the program curriculum and are led by scholars from The Ohio State University’s College of Arts and Sciences who have expertise in history, literature, art, music and performance. Recognizing the value of practice, the institute also brings in teaching experts (to share pedagogical techniques, as well as multicultural curriculum developers to provide instruction on complementing and supplementing State of Ohio standards pertaining to difficult subjects.
     
  • How does the district nominate an individual to participate?
    District leadership may nominate educators by completing this webform and answering some brief questions.  
     
  • Can individuals volunteer without the permission of their district leaders?
    Yes, individual educators may nominate themselves using this webform. However, they must include a letter of recommendation or concurrence from their school principal.
     
  • How long and how often are the sessions in which our district’s educators may participate?
    The program consists of 30 hours of professional development engagement and including an orientation session (in January); three-hour Saturday seminars once a month (for five months) followed by an in-person experiential learning field trip and workshop (in June). 
     
  • Are there any costs associated with participating in the institute?
    The program offers each participating educator a modest stipend as well as textbooks and other resources. There is no cost for the teachers to participate. Stipends will be disbursed following the successful completion of the institute. 
     
  • What is the specific process for participating teachers from my district to earn credit for participation?
    Upon successful completion of whole program, teachers will be awarded a certificate and verification of contact hours that may be submitted for CEU consideration to the relevant district committee.

Enrollment

  • What is the enrollment process?
    Educators interested in participating should complete this webform. 
     
  • Can I enroll in two tracks simultaneously?
    No. Each track runs concurrently; therefore, participation is limited to one track per year.
     
  • Can I enroll in a second track if I’ve participated in a previous year?
    Yes, per the discretion of institute leadership. Email Associate Director Puja Batra-Wells (batra-wells.1@osu.edu).
     
  • Can I participate if I am educational staff but not a teacher?
    Yes, per the discretion of institute leadership. Email Associate Director Puja Batra-Wells (batra-wells.1@osu.edu).

Institute Cost + Stipends

  • How much does the institute cost?
    There is no cost to participate. The institute offers each educator a modest stipend as well as textbooks, parking and field trip food and travel. Stipends are disbursed following successful completion of the institute.
     
  • How long will it take for me to receive my stipend at the completion of the program?
    Electronic direct deposits may take up to 60 days. Regular checks may take up to 90 days.
     
  • What is the vendor form? How and why should I complete it?
    The Ohio State University requires all institute participants to submit a completed vendor form in order to receive a payment. This form establishes participants as vendors in the university system.
     
  • If I completed a vendor form in previous years, can I use the vendor information that I have on file?
    No. Ohio State recently updated its vendor form protocols. As such, all participants must submit new vendor forms, regardless of previous enrollment.

Program Expectations

  • What is the institute’s policy on attendance?
    Institute participants are expected to attend all of the sessions unless there are exigent circumstances. We understand that life happens and conflicts may arise. However, we encourage participants to consider applying for the following year, if they are unable to fulfill this commitment. Please note that if participants are unable to attend the final field trip, the final stipend amount will be prorated down to $250.
     
  • What is the format of the sessions?
    Sessions may be virtual or hybrid depending on the format indicated by the instructor.

Program Materials

  • When will I receive books and materials? 
    Participants will receive their textbooks and other relevant resources at the mandatory orientation.

Email Program Coordinator Siatta Dennis-Brown (dennis-brown.1@osu.edu).