Explore the Charles “Teenie” Harris Archive through a series of materials developed for third through fifth grade, including short videos, vocabulary lists, and sketching prompts.
These educational materials highlight four themes throughout each grade segment: Societal Networks, Access and Opportunity, Intersectionality, and Pittsburgh Black Change Agents.
Each of the videos encourages you to look closely and carefully at the featured photograph. If you would like more time to view an image, pause the video. Allow these photographs to inspire your curiosity, and feel free to discuss them with those around you. Charles “Teenie” Harris’s inspiring legacy has allowed generations to witness what might otherwise be lost from our collective memory. As a result, this archive is unique proof of living while Black in the 20th century.
Scroll below to see all of the tool kit components. You will see five separate videos that you can download and watch a variety of ways, with corresponding teaching materials that you are welcome to download and utilize.
Videos
Introduction
Listen to community archivist Charlene Foggie-Barnett introduce the Charles “Teenie” Harris Archive.
Materials
- Vocabulary Lists for Grades K–12
Download - Writing Prompts for Grades 3–5
Download - Introduction Video (1080p / 267MB)
Download - Introduction Video (720p / 126MB)
Download - Introduction Video
Vimeo
Embed
Copy the code below to add this video to a webpage.
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/464307873?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen></iframe> <p><a href="https://vimeo.com/464307873">Black Life in Pittsburgh: Intro</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/cmoa">Carnegie Museum of Art</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>
Societal Networks
Listen to community archivist Charlene Foggie-Barnett explore the theme of societal networks Charles “Teenie” Harris’s photograph of a group of people roller skating.
Harris’s photographic archive tells the great story of the importance of Black social experiences–from informal gatherings to more formal social establishments such as fraternal orders and community groups. Most often, these groups were formed in response to white social groups that denied entry to Blacks. Such societal networks facilitated valuable alliances, provided protection, established continuity, and promoted Black culture and traditions. In this section, many images reveal interactions to which Harris was granted unique access because he was well respected, while others demonstrate social exchanges of everyday life.
Materials
- Societal Networks Video (1080p / 33MB)
Download - Societal Networks Video (720p / 18MB)
Download - Societal Networks Video
Vimeo
Embed
Copy the code below to add this video to a webpage.
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/465901189?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen></iframe> <p><a href="https://vimeo.com/465901189">Black Life in Pittsburgh: Societal Networks – Grades 3–5</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/cmoa">Carnegie Museum of Art</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>
Access and Opportunity
Explore details in Charles “Teenie” Harris’s photograph featuring children crossing a street assisted by a crossing guard in this video.
The selected images reveal lived experiences of lessened access and opportunity. At the same time, these photographs speak to the ways in which education, employment, business ownership, and military services opened opportunities for African Americans. The photos in this section show Black demand for equality, which helps us think about the ways in which African Americans advanced their own lives even though our society placed unfair limitations.
Materials
- Access and Opportunity Video (1080p / 47MB)
Download - Access and Opportunity Video (720p / 23MB)
Download - Access and Opportunity Video
Vimeo
Embed
Copy the code below to add this video to a webpage.
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/465898861?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen></iframe> <p><a href="https://vimeo.com/465898861">Black Life in Pittsburgh: Access and Opportunity – Grades 3–5</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/cmoa">Carnegie Museum of Art</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>
Intersectionality
Listen to Charles “Teenie” Harris archivist Dominique Luster discuss the details in Harris’s photograph featuring children sitting on a curb.
These photographs illustrate Harris’s ability to explore the many forms of Black identity within a single image. Through his attention to framing and focus as well as his way of providing details about his subjects, Harris shows us that individual identities are full of many layers. These photographs reveal that the subject of the photograph, or people displayed, have identities of many categories, from race and ethnicity to age, gender, and socioeconomic status. Pay attention to the ways in which different social identities overlap in a single image.
Materials
- Intersectionality Video (1080p / 30MB)
Download - Intersectionality Video (720p / 14MB)
Download - Intersectionality Video
Vimeo
Embed
Copy the code below to add this video to a webpage.
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/465901691?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen></iframe> <p><a href="https://vimeo.com/465901691">Black Life in Pittsburgh: Intersectionality – Grades 3–5</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/cmoa">Carnegie Museum of Art</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>
Change Agents
Listen to Charles “Teenie” Harris archivist Dominique Luster discuss the details in Harris’s photograph of Tuskegee Airman James T. Wiley and a group of children.
Throughout society, people step up and lead change within their communities. Teenie Harris was himself a change agent. His example of hard work and persistence in the face of negativity is represented by his massive collection of photographic negatives, proving that a lack of education and wealth does not stop a person’s greatness. In addition, Teenie documented other change agents in Pittsburgh, championing those who made an impact through their careers and civic engagement, despite discriminatory factors that stood in their way.
Materials
- Change Agents Video (1080p / 39MB)
Download - Change Agents Video (720p / 19MB)
Download - Change Agents Video
Vimeo
Embed
Copy the code below to add this video to a webpage.
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/465900528?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen></iframe> <p><a href="https://vimeo.com/465900528">Black Life in Pittsburgh: Change Agents – Grades 3–5</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/cmoa">Carnegie Museum of Art</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>
Thank You!
We hope these materials are useful for you and your students. Please share your feedback with us.