4 Civil Rights-Era Inspired Art Projects to Help Kids Reflect, Process, and Create

Some days, the world is heavy. It can be hard to talk to our kids about current events, especially when they involve civil rights abuses, injustice, or violence in our communities. As parents and caregivers, we need to be honest without overwhelming our kids. My personal philosophy is that parents can’t shield our children from everything unpleasant in life, nor should we. It’s not a parent’s job to hide the reality of the world from our kids, but to give them age-appropriate tools to understand, process, and express their feelings about what’s happening around them. In our household, I often remind my daughter that people have faced unfairness before, but they’ve organized, protested, and advocated for what they knew was right. Most importantly, they persisted until change happened.

Art is one of the most important tools of any social movement. Art inspires people. It builds communities, spreads hope and courage, and enables participants to process their fear, anger, grief, and love. Art melts hate.

It’s why in these trying times, I keep coming back to Civil Rights-Era art.

In the mid-twentieth century, artists didn’t just record what was happening. They used art to organize communities, grow courage, and imagine what could come next. For kids, these historical examples are powerful reminders that the voice of a single individual can make a difference.

Similarly, art is one of the best coping tools parents and educators can give kids. Making art gives kids a powerful way to express their own feelings and work through the emotions that swirl around big historical events—both the ones they’re learning about and the ones they’re living through.

I’ve written four free activity guides that help families and educators talk about Civil Rights Era events and give kids the opportunity to express their feelings about causes and events that affect them personally. Each one is designed to help kids observe, reflect, and create their own art that represents the causes they care most about.

A note for parents:

While none of these lessons are graphic, they do include blunt, factual descriptions of historical events. Please make sure they are appropriate for your learner before distributing them, and be prepared to have open, honest, but potentially difficult conversations with them about historical and current events.

If your child has big feelings while doing these projects, that’s not a problem to fix: it’s an opportunity to connect with your child and model how you cope with your own big feelings. Making art can remind us all that even when the world feels frozen with hate or fear, people have always found ways to organize, create, and thaw the hearts they needed to make change.

The Projects

Walk Like a Civil Rights Leader (Inspired by Walking by Charles Henry Alston)

Charles Henry Alston’s painting Walking shows people moving together in protest during the Montgomery Bus Boycott. During the boycott, many Black people who relied on buses chose not to ride them to protest unfair segregation laws. After more than a year of walking and carpooling, the Supreme Court eventually ruled that segregated seating on buses was illegal.

This project helps kids notice something powerful: change isn’t only made by famous leaders. It’s made by everyday people showing up again and again.

Click the button to download the free printable guide:

See the original artwork: Walking, Charles Henry Alston Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Sydney Smith Gordon (2007.2)

See 40 More pieces from the NMAAHC’s exhibit Reckoning: Protest. Defiance. Resilience. (Some of these images depict violence or nudity)

2) Paint Your Feelings (Inspired by Sam Gilliam’s April 4, 1969)

On April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. A year later, artist Sam Gilliam painted April 4, 1969 to capture his feelings about that day and what followed in his community.

This painting is an example of abstract art. Instead of faces or words, it expresses emotion through color and movement. This project shows kids that you can say something real without drawing a portrait or place and invites them to reflect on their own emotions around an important event in their lives.

Download the guide:

See the original artwork: April 4 by Sam Gilliam, acrylic on canvas, 110 x 179 3/4 in. (279.4 x 456.6 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase (1973.115)

View More Work by Sam Gilliam in the Smithsonian’s collection.

3) Unite For Change (Inspired by Barbara Jones-Hogu’s Unite and AfriCOBRA)

In 1971, artist Barbara Jones-Hogu made a bright, powerful print called Unite. She was part of a group of Black artists in Chicago called AfriCOBRA that believed art could help people feel proud, speak the truth, and push for change. The print was a rallying cry to work together. It was mass-produced and shared widely.

This project reminds kids that even when people have differences, they can choose to unite to fight for justice and build a better future. It encourages them to think about the messaging used by activists for causes they care about and how they can amplify that message with their own art.

Download the Activity Guide:

See the original artwork: Unite (AfriCOBRA) by Barbara Jones-Hogu, Color screenprint on ivory wove paper, Art Institute Chicago, Gift of Judy and Patrick Diamond (2005.588)

Watch an interview with one of the founders of AfriCOBRA, Gerald Williams. Note, includes historical footage of violence.

4) Who is America? A New Take on American Gothic

In 1930, an artist named Grant Wood painted a famous artwork called American Gothic. It shows two people standing in front of a house, posed like they’re taking a serious portrait. Over time, this painting became so well-known that many other artists have made their own versions of it to share new ideas.

One example is American Gothic, Washington, D.C. Government Charwoman. In this artwork, the artist uses the same “American Gothic” pose, but chooses a different person to center in the portrait. It invites us to ask an important question: When we picture “America,” who do we include—and who gets left out?

In this project, kids create their own American Gothic–style portrait to show how they see America today.

Download the Activity Guide:

See the original artworks:

• Grant Wood, American Gothic, 1930, Oil on Beaver Board, Art Institute Chicago, Friends of American Art Collection (1930.934)

• Gordon Parks, Washington, D.C. Government Charwoman (American Gothic), 1942, Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (2024.63)

Learn More through the Smithsonian’s African American Art website.

Today’s Children are Tomorrow’s Leaders

It can be hard to believe, but the historical leaders we admire were yesterday’s children. Our kids could become tomorrow’s, but only if we give them the tools to stand up for what they believe, process what they’re seeing, and express themselves.

If you use these projects at home or in your classroom, we’d love your feedback AND to see what your kids create. Tag us on social media @gluestickapp or email support@gluestick.app to share their work. We might even feature their creations (and amplify their message) on our blog, social media, or newsletter.