Experience history from the ground up, in the voices of those who have lived it. We are a community archive & mapping project documenting historic communities of color, working people, and LGBTQ+ individuals in Riverside and San Bernardino.

School Desegregation in Riverside & San Bernardino

2-3 Days (55 minute classes), Grade 11-12

How did communities in Riverside and San Bernardino challenge educational segregation, and what do their efforts reveal about the ongoing struggle for educational justice? This lesson introduces students to the underrepresented history of educational segregation and resistance in the Inland Empire, particularly San Bernardino and Riverside. Students will analyze primary sources and maps, hear community voices, and interview elders to construct a more inclusive narrative of civil rights history. They will apply historical thinking concepts to assess the causes, consequences, and varied community responses to segregation and integration. Students will demonstrate their learning by selecting a method that best suits their learning style.

Civil Rights Education Ethnic Studies Riverside San Bernardino Segregation

How did Latinx Riversiders Create a Thriving Community at the Beginning of the 20th Century?

3 Day Lesson Plan, 55 minutes each day

Despite a dominant narrative that labeled the community as a “problem” and systems of oppression like forced deportation, redlining, and school segregation, Riverside’s Latinx community engaged in transformational resistance to build a thriving community from 1900-1950. It used methods such as placemaking via community organizations, pursuing economic independence, holding culturally-affirming events, and claiming space through recreation, religious worship, and military service to actively resist.

Grade 11 History Latina/o/x

How have shifts in land use in and around Mira Loma, CA contributed to evolving social justice movements?

3 Days, 55 minute periods

This ethnic studies lesson plan explores the intersection of land, labor, and logistics in Mira Loma, CA, emphasizing the 4’Is of oppression, social justice, and sustainable development. It dives into Mira Loma’s history, along with the social justice movements emerging in response to the area’s growing logistics centers. The lesson encourages active learning and critical thinking through discussions, written reflections, and a creative task where students respond to the essential question through the creation of a comic strip.

Environmental Justice Ethnic Studies History

Intersectional Identity and Community Support Groups

2 Days (55 Minute Class)

How do community support groups honor our intersectional identity? Students will examine the influence of community support groups and explore intersectionality. Students will engage in a historical analysis of important figures in the Inland Empire community, analyze examples of mission statements from community support groups, and dissect the purpose of community support groups and their principles. For the culminating project, students will work in groups to create their own mission statement in support of a community group of their choice, along with five principles to identify and support a specific group.

Activism Civil Rights Community Leaders Ethnic Studies Intersectionality LGBTQIA+

How do we remember our community’s history?

55 Minutes

The purpose of this lesson is to reflect on how we remember the contributions of those who may not be as visible in the stories of our local communities, particularly historically marginalized groups. This calls into question how we think about the terms that we use for people in our communities as well as ourselves, and the changing nature of names, identities and narratives surrounding them.

Asian and Pacific Islander Ethnic Studies History

Equal Access to Public Pools

2 Days (55 Minute Classes), 11-12 Grade

In what ways does having access to public pools impact a community? Students will learn about the creation of public pools and the challenges presented to equal access by exploring historic access to pools in three Inland Empire cities: the Fairmount Park Plunge in Riverside during the 1920s, the Sylvan Plunge in Redlands in the 1930s, and the Perris Hill Plunge in San Bernardino during the 1940s.  Students will identify why having access to a public pool was important then and now – and how it impacts individuals and the community. Finally, students will research and map access to public pools in their own community to analyze current needs.

African American Civil Rights Latina/o/x Redlands Riverside San Bernardino Segregation
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