1975 Archives

July 15, 1978: The Longest Walk

The Longest Walk, a transcontinental trek for Native American justice, ended.

July 30, 1975: Massacre in El Salvador

Dozens of high school and university students in a peaceful protest were killed and injured by the U.S. backed Salvadoran police and National Guard.

Teaching SNCC: The Organization at the Heart of the Civil Rights Revolution

Teaching Activity. By Adam Sanchez. Rethinking Schools. 24 pages.
A series of role plays that explore the history and evolution of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, including freedom rides and voter registration.

Teaching Activity by Adam Sanchez

What We Don’t Learn About the Black Panther Party — but Should

Teaching Activity. By Adam Sanchez and Jesse Hagopian. Rethinking Schools. 33 pages.
A mixer lesson introduces students to the pivotal history of the Black Panthers.

Sept. 11, 1990: Murder of Myrna Mack

Anthropologist Myrna Mack Chang was murdered in Guatemala by the U.S.-backed military due to her outspoken criticism of the Guatemala government’s treatment of the indigenous Maya.

Oct. 5, 1986: Eugene Hasenfus Captured During Iran-Contra Scandal

The cover-up of the Iran-Contra scandal began to unravel when Eugene Hasenfus was captured by Nicaraguan troops.

Carolina Butler | Zinn Education Project

Nov. 12, 1981: Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation and the Orme Dam Victory

The Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation of Arizona stopped construction of the Orme Dam after ten years of organizing and protesting.

Dec. 14, 1985: Wilma Mankiller Becomes Chief of Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma

Wilma Mankiller took office as Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma.

Dec. 15, 1992: “Civil War” in El Salvador Ended

The “civil war” in El Salvador officially ended, but other struggles followed, including to protect the land and water from gold mining.

Operation Just Cause | Zinn Education Project

Dec. 20, 1989: Invasion of Panama

The United States invaded Panama in “Operation Just Cause.”

Jan. 5, 1980: Rapper’s Delight

The song “Rapper’s Delight” by the Sugarhill Gang (and reportedly Grandmaster Caz) became the first hip hop single ever to reach the Billboard Top 40.

Feb. 11, 1990: Mandela Released from Prison

Nelson Mandela was released from prison in South Africa after 27 years.

Memorial of massacre site at El Mozote, Morazan, El Salvador | The Zinn Education Project

Dec. 11, 1981: El Mozote Massacre in El Salvador

More than 800 civilians were massacred by the U.S.-backed Salvadoran Army in El Mozote.

Greensboro Massacre Protest (photo) | Zinn Education Project

Nov. 3, 1979: Greensboro Massacre

Five people were killed when the Ku Klux Klan and Nazis fired on an anti-Klan rally in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Bus Strike (photo) | Zinn Education Project

April 5, 1979: Boston University Strike

Boston University refused to approve negotiated contract, so the faculty union called a strike, with Howard Zinn as co-chair of strike committee. Other staff and librarians also went on strike that spring.

A Message from the Future with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Film. Narrated by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and illustrated by Molly Crabapple. The Intercept. 2019. 7 minutes.
The film flips the script on our future by illustrating one where we survive climate change and thrive because we took action today.

April 19, 1989: “Central Park Five” Arrested

The New York Police Department falsely accused four African American teenagers and one Latino teenager who became known as the “Central Park Five.”

ACT UP New York Activists | Zinn Education Project

June 5, 1981: AIDS Epidemic Recognized by Medical Community

The CDC published a medical study about five gay men, plagued by a mysterious autoimmune disease (AIDS), in June 1981.

Hell in a Very Small Space | Zinn Education Project

July 4, 1976: Marion Prisoners Stage Bicentennial Hunger Strike

Inmates at United States Penitentiary (USP) Marion staged a hunger strike on the U.S. bicentennial in protest of inhumane treatment by the prison administration.

April 17, 1996: Landless Workers Movement Protesters Murdered by Brazilian Government

Brazil’s military police gunned down 19 peasant farm workers in the Via Campesina movement who were marching for land sovereignty in 1996.

March 24, 1982: The Sanctuary Movement Starts in Arizona

A network of religious congregations that became known as the Sanctuary Movement started with a Presbyterian church and a Quaker meeting in Tucson, Arizona.

Aug. 15, 1975: Joan Little Acquitted

Joan Little used deadly force to resist sexual assault and was the first to successfully defend herself in court leading to acquittal.

When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop

Picture book. By Laban Carrick Hill. Illustrations by Theodore Taylor III. 2013. 32 pages.
A picture book biography about DJ Kool Herc, and the birth of hip hop.

March 12, 1990: Disability Rights Activists’ “Capitol Crawl” for the ADA

Dozens of disabled Americans abandoned their mobility aids and climbed and crawled up the U.S. Capitol steps to raise awareness of threats to the proposed ADA. It worked.

Feb. 29, 2000: “Granny D” Completes Walk for Campaign Finance Reform

“Granny D” Haddock completed a 3200 miles walk from California to Washington, D.C. to call for reform of the U.S. system of campaign finance.

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