The World of Coca Cola Self-Guided Tour for Teachers

Highlights: African American History Month

Historically, The Coca-Cola Company has celebrated the unique culture of African-Americans through community programming, promotional concepts, and advertising. African-Americans began to appear in advertising for Coca-Cola in the early 1950s. The Coca-Cola Company continues to look for ways to celebrate the heritage, culture, and traditions of the African-American consumer.

Location – The Loft You will find fascinating artifacts from the past and present showcasing the rich heritage of Coca-Cola.

Connections Among the early African-American personalities to appear in advertising for Coca-Cola was internationally known musician Graham W. Jackson. Ask your students to locate the picture of Graham W. Jackson, an African-American accordion player, on the back wall.

Impact Jackson was one of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s favorite musicians. At that time in American history, African-Americans were given very few rights and were not treated fairly. It was very unusual for an American President to give so much public acclaim to an African-American. Jackson played at Roosevelt’s funeral in 1945 in Warm Springs, Georgia. A picture was published in Time Magazine of Jackson crying at Roosevelt’s funeral and is considered one of the photos of major importance of the 20th century.

Links to:

SS4CG5 The student will name positive character traits of key historic figures and government leaders (honesty, patriotism, courage, trustworthiness).

SSUSH23 The student will describe and assess the impact of political developments between 1945 and 1970.

Note to Teachers: This guide may be added to either the Social Studies or Language Arts links & lesson plans with ease. As your class proceeds through the tour, please note that:

Standards are addressed through a self-guided tour of the World of Coca-Cola.

Standards may be fulfilled in more than one area of the attraction.

Please feel free to ask ambassadors to tell your class about their specific areas as you tour.

Location – Milestones of Refreshment A series of ten galleries brings the history of The Coca-Cola Company to life through exhibits featuring some of the most prized possessions.

Connections Louis Armstrong performed at a Coke-sponsored concert in 1944 called the Spotlight Bands Series. You can actually see the program script from that event at The World of Coca-Cola. Louis Armstrong performed for 20,000 people in this show. He appeared on the Coca-Cola program fifteen times. Other big bands featured in the Coca-Cola series include: Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Artie Shaw, and Lionel Hampton (American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, bandleader and actor pictured below).

Impact More recently, Coca-Cola has sponsored the largest event celebrating African American culture, music, and empowerment in the United States called the Essence Music Festival. It has been held in New Orleans, Louisiana every year since 1995. Some of the headlining artists have been LL Cool J, and Tyrese. These artists have also been featured in Coca-Cola commercials. (Click on their names/pictures to be directed to you-tube video)

Links to:

SSUSH23 The student will describe and assess the impact of political developments between 1945 and 1970.

SSUSH13 The student will identify major efforts to reform American society and politics in the Progressive Era.

SSUSH21 The student will explain the impact of technological development and economic growth on the United States, 1945-1975. B. Describe the impact television has had on American culture; include the presidential debates (Kennedy/Nixon, 1960) and news coverage of the Civil Rights Movement.

Location – Milestones of Refreshment A series of ten galleries brings the history of The Coca-Cola Company to life through exhibits featuring some of the most prized possessions.

Connections “Play Refreshed” Football Poster from 1953. Early African-American advertisements often featured sports stars. Football players are: Marion Motley, Bill Willis, Emlen Tunnel and Leonard Ford.

Impact As we come to the end of the football playoffs and we prepare to enter African American History month, this poster in the World of Coca-Cola is relevant for both. If you get close enough to read the fine print, you'll see that Motley is called a "Powerful Fullback", Willis a "Panther-Like Guard", Tunnell a "Spectacular Safety Man" and Ford a "Giant Wingman." Motley and Willis were also the first to break pro football's color barrier.

If you cannot access the videos by clicking the links, please type the web site address into your browser: LL Cool J video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXhEtgO59EQ Tyrese video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObdSno1uoQs

Location – Milestones of Refreshment

A series of ten galleries brings the history of The Coca-Cola Company to life through exhibits featuring some of the most prized possessions.

Connections Alice Coachman, an Olympic athlete and track star from Tuskegee University who won an Olympic Gold Medal for the high jump in 1948, is featured in Coke advertising from 1952 along with Olympian Jesse Owens, who was a hero in 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin.

Impact Many great African American athletes have been featured in Coca-Cola ads more recently (Click on underlined names for videos). Charles Barkley LeBron James Michael Jordan & 2

nd commercial

Scottie Pippen Print ads, which are found in the World of Coca-Cola, also feature popular athletes; REECE "GOOSE" TATUM ORIGINAL HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS JULIUS ("DR. J.") ERVING

Links to: SSUSH22 The student will identify dimensions of the Civil Rights Movement, 1945-1970.

B. Identify Jackie Robinson and the integration of baseball.

Location –Pop-Culture Gallery

Connections A print by acclaimed artist Kadir Nelson is at top of Hub Stairs, at the World of Coca-Cola. This was created in celebration of Black History Month 2009. (Click name for link to article & video).

Additionally, folk art by Georgia artist, Gerald Byrd incorporates Coca-Cola products.

2005 Painting “MA BROWN SOLD COKE”

Impact Renowned Folk Artist Mary Procter often incorporates Coke cans in her artwork. The image on the right can be seen in the Pop Culture gallery on the 2

nd floor of the World of

Coca-Cola. The image on the left is another example of her work.

Links to: SSUSH10 The student will identify legal, political, and social dimensions of Reconstruction.

If you cannot access the videos by clicking the links, please type the web site address into your browser: Charles Barkley video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJ16fT-ESIg LeBron James video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3p7w3z83tjc Michael Jordan video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sa8zfxg-Zhc Michael Jordan video 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukOLvxfb3UE Scottie Pippen video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJ16fT-ESIg Kadir Nelson video: http://www.coca-colaconversations.com/my_weblog/2009/02/artist-kadir-nelsons-black-history-month-coke-illustrations.html

Location – Milestones of Refreshment & Pop-Culture Gallery

Connections While Coke had featured African-American celebrities and athletes in ads, a model named Mary Cowser (today, Mary Alexander) was one of the first non-celebrity African-American women to appear in the ads. Here is an ad from 1957 featured in Milestones. Ms. Alexander had been a junior at Clark College in Atlanta in 1955 when Coca-Cola representatives came to campus to find models for a new print campaign. Ms. Alexander’s dorm housemother encouraged her to try out and she was selected as one of the featured models in a program that appeared in newspapers, magazines and posters. In all, she appeared in more than 10 ads for Coke, appearing with fellow students.

Impact Mary earned enough money in her first year modeling for Coke to pay that year’s tuition. The ads appeared in magazines such as Ebony, in New York subway ads and on billboards across the country. Ms. Alexander said her brother saw one of her billboards while driving in Mississippi, but no one believed that was really his sister! Ms. Alexander graduated from Clark in 1956, becoming a teacher and principal. Click HERE for video reference!

Links to: SS5H8 The student will describe the importance of key people, events, and developments between 1950-1975. SS8H11 The student will evaluate the role of Georgia in the modern civil rights movement.

A. Describe major developments in civil rights and Georgia's role during the 1940s and 1950s; include the roles of Herman Talmadge, Benjamin Mays, the 1946 governor's race and the end of the white primary, Brown v. Board of Education, Martin Luther King, Jr., and the 1956 state flag.

If you cannot access the videos by clicking the links, please type the web site address into your browser: Mary Alexander video: http://www.coca-colaconversations.com/my_weblog/2009/02/mary-alexander-in-her-own-words.html

The World of Coca‐Cola Highlights: African American History Month

How much did you learn?

Fill‐in‐the‐blanks!

1. Among the early African‐American personalities to appear in advertising for Coca‐Cola was

internationally known musician .

2. This internationally known musician (same as above) was one of President ’s

favorites.

3. performed at a Coke‐sponsored concert in 1944 called the Spotlight

Bands Series.

4. Coca‐Cola has sponsored the largest event celebrating African American culture, music, and

empowerment in the United States called the .

5. In the “Play Refreshed” Football Poster from 1953, one of the football players featured are

.

6. Alice Coachman, an Olympic athlete and track star from Tuskegee University who won an Olympic

Gold Medal for the high jump in 1948, is featured on Coke advertising from 1952 along with Olympian

, who was a hero in 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin.

7. One of the more recent athletes to appear in a Coca‐Cola ad is .

8. While Coke had featured African‐American celebrities and athletes in ads, a model named

was one of the first non‐celebrity African‐American women

to appear in the ads.

9. As one of the featured models she (model names above) appeared in more than ads for

Coke.

10. This is a 2005 painting by Georgia artist, .

Answers:

1. Graham W. Jackson 2. Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 3. Louis Armstrong 4. Essence Music Festival 5. Either: Marion Motley, Bill Willis, Emlen Tunnel or Leonard Ford 6. Jesse Owens

7. Charles Barkley, Valerie Brisco‐Hooks, Tim Duncan, Grant Hill,

LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Isiah Thomas, or Sanya Richards.

8. Mary Cowser (or Mary Alexander) 9. 10 10. Gerald Byrd