STEP 1: Students READ IN FULL the newspaper article, "Teacher Protests Police Beat Son Brutally For Refusing to Confess Falsely On Break-Ins." Courier-Journal [Louisville, KY] 5 Oct 1948: page/column. Microfilm.

STEP 2: As a group, the class discusses the article, breaking down the different views of the initial incident, the public meeting, and how both are described in the newspaper article.

1. Who was involved in the initial incident?
2. When did the initial incident take place? What were the circumstances?
3. Where was this event addressed publically and why?
4. How were the participants in the initial event and the public meeting portrayed?
5. What other observations about the incident can students make?
6. Does this seem like an objective and/or fair description of the events?

STEP 3: Class listens to the actual recording of Louisville resident Mr. Theodore Rowan, Sr. at Mayor Charles Farnsley's Town Hall Meeting, held on the evening of 4 October 1948, City Hall, Louisville, KY.

1. What differences do students notice between the reporting in the newspaper and the actual recording of the meeting?
2. Why would an analysis of these differences be important to someone researching this event?
3. As a researcher, how might these two sources be used in a paper?
4. How might this demonstrate the importance and usefulness of primary sources? Especially when used in concert with secondary sources?

Subjects:
Race relations--History--Kentucky.
Social justice--History--20th century.
Civil rights--Kentucky.

This lesson plan is part of the Special Collections & Archives program of primary source instruction in the Berea College General Studies Curriculum. Specifically, this exercise supports the GST 210 course. Plan developed by Harry Rice and contributed by Jaime M. Bradley.

Please contact Jaime M. Bradley, College Archivist, for access to the materials in this lesson plan.

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