Storming Caesars Palace

Poverty alleviation efforts in America have a complex history, often reflecting the stigmas and biases of the age. This series of interactive lessons is designed to introduce students to the history and enduring struggle of the welfare rights movement. The lessons are accompanied by a wealth of clips from Storming Caesars Palace, a PBS Independent Lens documentary that explores the welfare rights movement in depth. Students gain a deeper understanding of collective organizing and effective activism. They learn that beyond the headlines and history books, activists fighting for change needed to be strategic, inventive, and organized in order to build power and be effective, skills that activists still need today. Educators are encouraged to select the lessons and activities that best fit their students’ needs and interests and to modify and trim as needed.

Poverty alleviation efforts in America have a complex history, often reflecting the stigmas and biases of the age. This series of interactive lessons is designed to introduce students to the history and enduring struggle of the welfare rights movement. The lessons are accompanied by a clip from Storming Caesars Palace, a PBS Independent Lens documentary that explores the welfare rights movement in depth. Students learn about the racialized history of welfare and how welfare stigma formed. Educators can then guide students through breaking that stigma by analyzing the lived experience of being on public assistance with a real-life budgeting exercise. Educators are encouraged to select the lessons and activities that best fit their students’ needs and interests and to modify and trim as needed.