In the News

- January 14th 2012

This week, Deseret News celebrates civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. While Reuters reports that voting rights laws are at risk of discriminating against minorities.

Keeping the Dream Alive

Through hard fought battles in the 20th century, American citizens gained a number of civil rights designed to protect every citizen from discrimination based on gender, religion, race, color, national origin, age, marital or family status, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, financial status, and more.

This week we celebrate the hard fought, yet soft spoken, achievements of Martin Luther King Jr. We also honor those that went before him, and those that have come after him working toward the same goal.

Downloads

The Internet and Civil Rights; A Look at Gains and Losses

Companion Presentation

Parent Material

Lesson

The lesson reflects on the hard-fought and soft-spoken work of Martin Luther King Jr., as well as all the others who have struggled, and continue to struggle to bring equal rights to all citizens.

Based on the Deseret News article, Jan 16th 2012, “Honoring 'civil' rights”,the Reuters.com article, Jan 16th 2012, and an ilookbothways.org blog from July 2011,Civil Rights Get Trampled in Internet Background Checks, this week’s lesson focuses on civil rights and the internet’s role in both strengthening and threatening our rights.

Grades - Appropriate for Grades 6-12

Time Required - 30-45 minutes

Key Concepts

Students should understand key concepts of security threats and how to improve the protection of their internet connected devices as well as the vocabulary related to digital security.

Cyber criminals and scammers are aggressively targeting all internet connected devices and users.
Without security protections, your devices and your information will be compromised.
In addition to up-to-date security tools, you must practice basic safety rules in order to protect yourself, your device, and your friends and family from malicious attacks and exploitation.

Materials & Resources

Equipment Needed	None. (Online video optional- Martin Luther King - I Have A Dream Speech - August 28, 1963 (17.28 minutes))
Full News Article	Deseret News article, Jan 16th 2012, “Honoring 'civil' rights”
	Reuters.com article, Jan 16th 2012, “In South Carolina, attorney general says voting rights at risk”
	ilookbothways.org blog, July 27 2011, "Civil Rights Get Trampled in Internet Background Checks"
Lesson Plan	The Internet and Civil Rights; A Look at Gains and Losses
Lesson Presentation	Companion Presentation

Learning Activities

Look at other civil rights issues and the way the internet has changed the playing field:

Ask students to look at one of the following key moments in civil rights history and suggest changes that would be needed to be relevant today:

• 1991 - After two years of debates, vetoes, and threatened vetoes, President Bush reverses himself and signs the Civil Rights Act of 1991, strengthening existing civil rights laws and providing for damages in cases of intentional employment discrimination . What could be done to identify discrimination in cases where discrimination is applied before candidates are selected for interviews?

• 2008 - Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) introduces the Civil Rights Act of 2008. Some of the proposed provisions include ensuring that federal funds are not used to subsidize discrimination, holding employers accountable for age discrimination, and improving accountability for other violations of civil rights and workers' rights . Looking this version of the Civil Rights act, does it take into account today’s internet’s capabilities? What changes are needed for this act to be relevant today?

Answer a question:

• If it is illegal to ask questions with discriminatory repercussions, should it also be illegal to search online for, or ask data mining companies to provide, this information?

• How did the internet aid the spread of civil rights in 2011?

Professional Development

This lesson explores the role of civil rights in determining internet privacy and data usage standards and helps students learn specific steps they can take to protect their online reputation.

Explore a specific angle of civil rights and the internet. For example:

Dissemination of material promoting civil rights via the internet

The role of anonymity online in protecting civil rights activists under repressive regimes

Hate speech and the internet

Gender discrimination and the internet

Lack of diversity within technology fields

Parent Tips

This week we celebrate the hard fought yet soft spoken achievements of Martin Luther King Jr., as well as the many other civil rights champions that worked alongside him, and those that went before him, and those that have come after him.

Based on the Deseret News article, Jan 16th 2012, “Honoring 'civil' rights,” the Reuters.com article, Jan 16th 2012, and an ilookbothways.org blog from July 2011, Civil Rights Get Trampled in Internet Background Checks, this week’s lesson focuses on civil rights and the internet’s role in both strengthening and threatening our rights.

Parent Material