Cold War

The resources and questions discussed in this lesson plan allow students to delve into the cultural and social impacts of various marginalized groups on significant time periods introduced throughout US History and World History.

             The Cold War beginning’s alignment with the start of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States brought an important question: could the uniquely American ideals of democracy and equality coexist with rampant discrimination against people of color, especially African-Americans? 

            This question shaped much of how Black people lived during the Cold War era, showing the importance of their voices: the cultural context they lived in was vastly impacted by the Cold War. As the US waged two separate wars (one against Communism, the other against anti-blackness & racism), minority voices, such as underrepresented voices of Black people and other POC groups, showed us a nuanced perspective on how the US presented itself diplomatically and culturally in an agitated period. Furthermore, understanding how the Cold War shaped cultural diplomacy, global minority communities, and human rights involves the struggles and voices of Black people and other POC groups in America. Their experiences in the Cold War & the Civil Rights Movement show how global events impacted minority communities and how the US used Black culture as a form of diplomacy (especially to second & third world countries). 

Review Sources:

Cold War from the African American perspective | Stanford News 

Fighting for Freedom: Jazz and the Cold War 

Black Skin in the Red Land: African Americans and the Soviet Experiment 

Asian Americans During The Cold War 

Numbed with Fear: Chinese Americans and McCarthyism 

The Making of a Model Minority 

"Better Dead than Red:" The Treatment of Native Americans in the Southwest during the Cold War 

Review/Discussion Questions:

1. How was Black culture utilized to fight against foreign notions of American racism and prejudice during the Cold War?

2. The model minority stereotype is incredibly pervasive today, how did this stereotype form due to the Cold War?

3. How does this stereotype enable discrimination against other non-AAPI minority groups in America?

4. Did the Cold War hamper or benefit the fight for equal rights for all races? 

5. In response to international perceptions of their racism, were the actions taken by the US government to improve civil rights surface-level or genuinely useful for POC? Why?

6. Did Soviets attempt to portray themselves as anti-racist to all POC or just one race? Why might this be an issue, especially when highlighting marginalized voices in history?