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Objective

Objective: Act 1, Scene 1 In order for students to fully appreciate this play, it is important that they are familiar with some historical background The objective of this lesson is for students to learn about the lives of African Americans in 1957, the year in which "Fences" is set.

1. Class discussion. Read aloud to students from August Wilson's "The Play" which comes immediately after he describes the setting, noting particularly the following:

"The city . . . offered each man a partnership limited only by his talent, his guile and his willingness and capacity for hard work. For the immigrants of Europe, a dream dared and won true. For the immigrants of Europe, a dream dared and won true. The descendants of African slaves were offered no such welcome or participation."

Discuss this quote in light of the fact that the struggles of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's were yet...

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