Friday, June 23, 1 PM
For next week’s Watch & Wonder Highlight, we’re thrilled to feature the film Walk Together Children: The 150th Anniversary of the Fisk Jubilee Singers. After watching, dive deeper with resources about the history of Fisk University and how, in the 1920s, W. E. B. Du Bois’ educational philosophy influenced the students there on PBS LearningMedia.
In Walk Together Children: The 150th Anniversary of the Fisk Jubilee Singers, Dr. Paul T. Kwami and the current singers explore the stories of the world-renowned ensemble’s original nine members and reflect on their roles as students and preservers of the group’s legacy. Directed by Jon Royal in collaboration with Dr. Kwami, the performance film is produced by Tennessee Performing Arts Center.
PBS LearningMedia
Students Strike at Fisk University
Grades 6-12
This video from The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow highlights Fisk University, founded in the 1880s by the American Home Mission Society. By the 1920s Fisk was the top black college in the United States and provided the best liberal arts education for African Americans; it was also the alma mater of the intellectual W. E. B. Du Bois. In 1924, in an effort to gain sizable donations from wealthy northern and southern funders, the white president Fayette McKenzie made many concessions. Most notably, he began to change the curriculum to reflect a more industrial education. The students, outraged and encouraged by Du Bois, walked out. Eventually, McKenzie resigned and the school returned to its original mission: to provide an elite higher education for black youth.
In school or at home, take advantage of the Watch & Wonder broadcast schedule. Running each weekday from 1-3 PM, Watch & Wonder is great for classroom viewing, distance instruction, and families looking to spend some extra, quality time together. Featured programs are ideal for kids in grades 6-12, encouraging creativity with the arts, kick starting innovation through STEM, and expanding their horizons with stories from across the globe!
Each week, we’ll highlight a show from our Watch & Wonder block, and share a PBS LearningMedia resource — suitable for middle and high school students. Follow along on the Watch & Wonder Schedule page, or subscribe to our newsletter!