Teaching Hard History

Helping students develop a deeper understanding of the history and legacy of American slavery can be emotional and complex. In this episode, educators Tamara Spears and Jordan Lanfair share their approaches to lesson planning, discuss student experiences, reflect on the challenges, and offer practical advice for teachers. Join host Hasan Kwame Jeffries, Ph.D., and Learning for Justice, a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). This episode originally aired in August 2019.
Visit the new resource page for this episode (2026), which includes essential ideas and teaching recommendations from the conversation, updated resources, and a complete transcript.

After the Civil War and emancipation, slavery evolved into other exploitive economic and legal systems, the legacy of which can still be seen today. Historian James Brewer Stewart discusses how modern slavery operates around the world and across the United States, connecting the past to the present. Join host Hasan Kwame Jeffries, Ph.D., and Learning for Justice, a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). This episode originally aired in June 2018.

Visit the new resource page for this episode (2026), which includes essential ideas and teaching recommendations from the conversation, updated resources, and a complete transcript.

At James Madison's Montpelier, an exhibit models how to explore American slavery at a historic site through the commitment to accuracy and truth about slavery and engagement with the descendants of the enslaved community. Christian Cotz, Price Thomas and Patrice Preston Grimes explain how that happened and why it is important. This episode originally aired in May 2018.
Visit the new resource page for this episode (2026), which includes essential ideas and teaching recommendations from the conversation, updated resources, and a complete transcript.

Building on the discussion of "Slavery in the Constitution," historian Paul Finkelman examines the connections among the Constitution, the Supreme Court, politics and slavery. This episode offers insights into the ideologies and tensions that shaped the United States, led to the Civil War and continue to affect our nation today. 
Join host Hasan Kwame Jeffries, Ph.D., and Learning for Justice, a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). (This episode originally aired in Apr. 2018.)
Visit the new resource page for this episode (2025), which includes essential ideas and teaching recommendations from the conversation, updated resources, and a complete transcript.

Constitutional and legal historian Paul Finkelman explains the critical role slavery played in the founding of the United States and how the politics of slavery shaped the U.S. Constitution in ways that are still evident today. Join host Hasan Kwame Jeffries, Ph.D., and Learning for Justice, a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). (This episode originally aired in Apr. 2018.)
Visit the new resource page for this episode (2025), which includes essential ideas and teaching recommendations from the conversation, updated resources, and a complete transcript.