By Taylor Armstrong
Over the summer, the Johnson Institute held its inaugural Johnson Institute Scholars Program workshops. The virtual course lasted a half-day and offered an opportunity for educators to learn about the Constitution. For this workshop, educators focused on the historic court case of Williams v. Wallace, in which Judge Frank Johnson authorized the historic 1965 Selma March.
Roughly 50 teachers participated and heard from historian Dr. Richard Bailey, AP government teacher Mrs. Kellye Self, and U.S. District Judge Keith Watkins. The program aims to educate teachers on the United States Constitution and the significance of incorporating monumental court cases, such as Williams v. Wallace, into classroom instruction.
Advertisement announcing the Scholars workshop.
Williams v. Wallace was a 1965 court case that took place after “Bloody Sunday” and allowed for the Selma-to-Montgomery March to occur, making the case a significant event in the Civil Rights Movement. The teachers were given insight into the importance and constitutionality surrounding the case and were taught different strategies for incorporating the court case into their lesson plans. Educators were provided resources on teaching Williams v. Wallace, including a student-friendly summary of the case, news stories, and other secondary source documents for further individual study.
The Johnson Institute plans to continue its Scholars program by focusing on other historic cases and tailoring the workshops to other professions to promote deeper understanding of the Constitution. Future programs will be conducting in person at the historic Frank Johnson Courthouse in Montgomery.
Taylor Armstrong is an intern with the Johnson Institute.