A Black man with very light skin, a grey mustache, and short grey wavy hair sits in front of a colorful background facing the photographer while looking down and to the viewer's left.

Lesson Plan

Walter White: Advocate in Changing Times

This lesson explores the complexity of former NAACP president Walter White’s public views during the Cold War Era and reveals some of the divisions within the civil rights movement as McCarthyism intensified.

About this lesson

Walter White’s decision not to publicly criticize Senator McCarthy’s anti-communist campaign, while condemning Paul Robeson for his perceived Soviet support, highlights the complexities and tensions of the Cold War era. McCarthyism was characterized by the aggressive pursuit of alleged communist sympathizers within the United States, creating an atmosphere of fear and suppression of dissent. White’s silence towards McCarthy might reflect the prevailing political climate and fear of retribution for challenging the status quo. On the other hand, his criticism of Robeson reveals the division within the civil rights movement, as some activists took stronger anti-communist stances to avoid being discredited by association with the Soviet Union. This episode underscores how individuals and movements navigated their positions within the broader ideological struggle of the Cold War, showcasing the ways in which the era’s politics and fears impacted the actions of key figures like Walter White

Grade Level

  • Grade Level

    Fifth

  • Subject

    Civics, Social Studies, US History, World History

  • Duration

    90 minutes

  • Class Period Structure

    Two 45-minute Class Periods

  • Activities, Background Essay, Biographies, Glossary, Primary Sources, Rubric, Secondary Sources, Timeline

  • At the end of this lesson students will be able to:

    • Describe who Walter White was and his role in the NAACP.
    • Identify the consequences of Walter White’s decisions within the context of the broader Cold War, including how these decisions reflected larger tensions and divisions in society.
    • Describe the complexities and dilemmas individuals like Walter White encountered in making choices during a time of political and ideological struggle.
    • Analyze the reasons why Walter White might have chosen not to speak out against McCarthy’s anti-communist campaign and why he spoke out against Paul Robeson’s Soviet support.

  • It will be helpful for students to be familiar with:

    • The Cold War
    • World War II
    • The Civil Rights Movement

  • Georgia:

    SS5H5: Discuss the origins and consequences of the Cold War.

    ELAGSE5RI7: Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the ability to locate an answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem efficiently.

    ELAGSE5RI6: Analyze multiple accounts of the same event or topic, noting important similarities and differences in the point of view they represent.

    ELAGSE5RI9: Integrate information from several texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.

    ELAGSE5W3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.

Supporting Materials

Primary Source

Glossary

  • Advocacy –

    The action of advocating, pleading for, or supporting a cause or proposal.

  • Capitalism –

    An economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods, by investments that are determined by private decision, and by prices, production, and the distribution of goods that are determined mainly by competition in a free market.

Related resources