“How Ain’t No Back to a Merry Go Round Will Enhance Your Teaching of the Lessons from the Civil Rights Movement.”
As Social Studies educators, we often look for resources that inspire students. When we find a resource that sheds light on a previously “unknown” event, particularly one told from multiple perspectives, it is like striking gold. The documentary “Ain’t No Back to a Merry Go Round” is precisely that resource. Created by award-winning director and masterful story teller Ilana Trachtman, this meticulously-researched film weaves together primary and secondary source footage from the struggle to integrate the Glen Echo Amusement Park in 1960 in Maryland.
Most people who visit Glen Echo Park today know it as a cultural center with an emphasis on art classes, concerts, dance lessons, galleries, and a place for special events. Few know that the history of this park includes lessons from the early Civil Rights Movement that teach about youth activism, community organizing and allyship, standing up for basic dignity, unity, and perseverance. Teachers can use excerpts or the entire film in a multitude of ways:
- to enhance a unit on the Civil Rights Movement,
- to demonstrate the power of ordinary individuals to make a difference in their local community,
- to foster empathy, and
- the importance of collaboration.
“Ain’t No Back. . .” uniquely shines a light on those who have been forgotten by history.
“Most of the people who made history are invisible. They don’t exist. The real story is that all these people are important because had they not been there, no change would have been made. No change would have been made.” -Courtland Cox, student activist and Chairman of the SNCC Legacy Project
The Story
Focusing on six individuals — from Howard University students to primarily Jewish and Quaker neighbors from nearby communities — the film quickly engages viewers by delving into their experiences, motivations and struggles. Alternating between current day interviews and news footage from the time, viewers are transported directly to the daily boycott of Glen Echo which lasted for months, as well as behind the scenes showing how the protestors organized,interacted, and forged friendships. Most of the activists had never socialized with members of a different race before this pivotal moment. It also focuses on the impact on the activists in the short and long term, the sacrifices they made in their personal relationships by dedicating themselves to the cause even beyond Glen Echo in subsequent protests.
The themes presented are broad enough that they can blend easily into Social Studies, History and English classes at both the middle and high school level. I strongly recommend previewing the entire film at least once in order to gain a better understanding of the full picture and to determine how to best integrate it into your teaching. You know your students best, as well as ways to connect the many relevant lessons of the film to your curriculum. You will become engrossed in the story of the main characters, their struggle against injustice, and how the different generations of activists bonded together over a common cause.
The collaboration between key student leaders such as Dion Diamond, Hank Thomas and current Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes (Norton) with suburban neighbors such as Helene Wilson, Esther Delaplaine and Loren Weinberg provides crucial lessons in allyship and community organizing. Echoes of World War II, the Holocaust and the Nazi party are integral in motivating many of the white protestors to dedicate themselves to fight for a greater cause, and are also seen in the counter-protests by the American Neo-Nazi party. While their signs contain offensive language, it is important for students to see how the history unfolded, and the examples of negative words and images which still rear their ugly heads today. You, of course, are the best judge of what is right for your students, but there are many helpful suggestions in the teacher’s guide on how to introduce this part.
Educator’s Guide
The Teacher’s Guide is filled with ideas for lessons of varying lengths as well as opportunities for extension, including thought provoking and relevant guiding questions for discussion and reflection throughout. I had the privilege of reviewing this expert guide after it was created. A sampling of the questions include:
- Why is student leadership so critical in movements for change?
- What personal qualities help someone take bold but peaceful action?
- What does it take to stand tall in the face of hate?
- What does protest “courage” really look like?
- How do movements today make sure their message is heard?
- What role does the media play in shaping public understanding of protest movements? How has the role of media changed?
In addition to ways to engage with the content, there are also numerous instructional strategies such as: media literacy by comparing tactics used then and now, analyzing the use of art such as poetry, summarizing skills and creative thinking, plus a very extensive glossary identifying key people, places, and terms connected to this story and the entire Civil Rights Movement. Each module contains well-organized teacher support materials and lesson sequencing filled with essential questions, learning standards, objectives, primary source quotes and images, bios of critical activists, activities for engagement, assessment and much more.
Both the film and teacher’s guide are clearly organized into chapters that allow for easy accessibility. Some segments include:
- the Student Activists
- the White Neighbors
- the Black Neighbors
- the Impact
Such organization allows teachers to choose how to best implement the strategies in the guide. as well as ways to use the excerpts or entire documentary to deepen understanding of what it took for ordinary individuals to commit to this struggle. It also brings to light a pivotal event of the Civil Rights Movement that had been almost forgotten by history. The struggle for the integration of Glen Echo Amusement Park can be used in conjunction with lessons on nonviolent resistance, such as the Nashville Lunch Counter Sit-ins, or as a springboard for further research into other lesser known protests against segregation in public spaces.
The guide also contains a very helpful section on “Navigating Racial Slurs and Sensitive Topics”, a letter to parents/guardians and sample permission slip before embarking on this unit of study, and tips for establishing norms for creating a safe space when delving into such a difficult and emotional topic.
In my nearly thirty years of teaching middle school Social Studies, I have rarely found a guide as thorough and adaptable as this one. I cannot recommend this documentary, and the extremely thorough teacher’s guide, enough to both new and veteran teachers. You and your students will be impacted by this story for many years to come.
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