Eric Holder

About

On May 16, 2023, former United States Attorney General Eric Holder will discuss his book, Our Unfinished March with students at the Flynn Center in Burlington, VT.

"America is a fragile democracy, Eric Holder argues, whose citizens have only had unfettered access to the ballot since the 1960s. He takes readers through three dramatic stories of how the vote was won: first by white men, through violence and insurrection; then by white women, through protests and mass imprisonments; and finally by African Americans, in the face of lynchings and terrorism. Next, he dives into how the vote has been stripped away since Shelby—a case in which Holder was one of the parties. He ends with visionary chapters on how we can reverse this tide of voter suppression and become a true democracy where every voice is heard and every vote is counted."

This opportunity highlights the importance of literacy within social studies, and connected literacies such as civic, media, ethical and equity literacy, and engages students with a contemporary text to build contextual knowledge. The AOE will provide supplemental learning materials aligned to the College, Career and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards to support this learning opportunity.

Curricular support

NEW CIVIC LITERACY GRANT

The Civic Literacy Grant will allow schools to purchase Holder's book and will support transportation to the Flynn. The Agency of Education (AOE) is offering a Civic Literacy Grant to Supervisory Unions/Supervisory Districts to complement and/or amplify their existing secondary school curricula with an exciting learning opportunity focused on constitutional democracy and voting rights. Civic Literacy Grant Application >