Business Rights vs.
the Public Good – A History of Laissez Faire Practices Issues during the Civil
Rights Era in Champaign County
By
Andrew Peralta
2010
Summer Institute
To download this lesson in PDF format, click here
Abstract:
In this
lesson, students will learn about the practices of businesses during the civil
rights era of Champaign County and discuss the rights of businesses over their
property over the rights of people who frequent these establishments. They will investigate primary sources related
to these actions and study how these practices mirror the struggles throughout
the nation.
Essential Questions
·
What
rights do businesses have over their own business? Can the government tell them how to run their
business?
·
How
do citizens stand up for the rights today vs. 50 years ago?
Assessment:
Students will
be assessed on their discussions along with their completion of two Primary
Document Analysis forms.
Activities: Lesson will take place over two
days.
1.)
Setting
the purpose: The teacher should start the lesson asking students to brainstorm
about businesses they like in the area. Students should then be asked if these businesses
are allowed to run the business the way that they like. Ask students if they were to open a business,
do they think that they could serve whoever they wanted and run it in whatever
way they would like. Ask if there are
reasons that they could not run it to the way of their liking.
2.)
Teacher
will split the class into three groups and hand out a Primary Document Analysis
form. Students are then to look at one
of three groups and discuss the document.
The point of these three stations is to discuss the public smoking ban
that took place in Champaign three years ago.
Students are to discuss whether the government and voters have a right
to ban something in a business owned privately.
The documents included in each of the three groups are:
·
Station
1: Bar Owners Fighting Public Smoking Span: http://www.news-gazette.com/news/business/miscellaneous/2006-06-28/champaign-urbana-bar-owners-unite-fight-smoking-ban.html
·
Station
2: Restaurants would be affected by smoking ban: News Gazette Article: http://www.news-gazette.com/news/politics-and-government/2005-09-12/proposal-would-ban-smoking-some-restaurants.html
·
Station
3: NY Times article on the different viewpoints of the smoking ban: New York
Times: Should Smoking be Illegal in Public Places - http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/11/should-cities-ban-smoking-in-public-places/
3.)
Teacher
will bring class together to discuss the student’s findings. Teacher will propose the question if businesses
should be allowed to have smoking in restaurants, shouldn’t they be allowed to
serve whomever they would like. Students
will discuss the question.
4.)
Teacher
will split the class into three groups again and hand out another Primary
Document Analysis form. Students are
then to look at one of three articles and discuss the documents. The point of these three stations is to
discuss the reason for picketing three different businesses in Champaign County
that took place in 50 years ago.
Students are to discuss whether the government and voters have a right
to ban practices in a privately owned business.
The documents included in each of the three groups are:
· Station 1: An article discussing the picketing of café’s on the University Campus from African American students - Lily White Cafés
· Station 2: An article discussing the picketing of grocery store called Collins Foods in Champaign for the hire practices – Collins Foods
· Station 3: An article discussing the picketing of J.C. Penneys for their lack of hiring African American sale workers - Why Picket Penneys
5.)
Teacher
will bring class together to discuss the student’s findings. Teacher will review the earlier question of
if business should be allowed to have smoking in restaurants, shouldn’t they be
allowed to serve whomever they would like.
Students will discuss the question.
6.)
Students
will then watch clips from the documentary The
Rosa Parks Story in order to identify other Jim Crow Laws that existed in
the south during the time and how these rules are unfair to those in the
African American community.
7.)
Students
will complete a primary document analysis sheet for motion pictures and come
together to discuss their findings.
In this
lesson, students will analyze primary sources related to discrimination
practices in Illinois, such as the picketing of Collins Food Store, White Lily
Café, and JCPenneys.
They will also investigate the current arguments over the smoking ban in
local business through articles in the local newspaper.
Ties to National Primary Sources:
In this
lesson, students will link information about local business practices during
the 1950-1960’s to the Jim Crow laws that existed in the south and throughout
the country during this time frame.
