The World of Coca Cola Self-Guided Tour for Teachers Highlights

The World of Coca Cola
Self-Guided Tour for Teachers
Highlights: African American History Month
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:
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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.
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.
Impact
Jackson was one of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s
favorite musicians. At that time in American history, AfricanAmericans were given very few rights and were not treated
fairly. It was very unusual for an American President to give
Ask your students to locate the picture of Graham W.
so much public acclaim to an African-American. Jackson
Jackson, an African-American accordion player, on the back played at Roosevelt’s funeral in 1945 in Warm Springs,
wall.
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:
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SS4CG5 The student will name positive character traits of key historic figures and government leaders (honesty, patriotism, courage,
trustworthiness).
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SSUSH23 The student will describe and assess the impact of political developments between 1945 and 1970.
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:
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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
nd
Michael Jordan & 2 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).
Impact
Renowned Folk Artist Mary Procter often incorporates Coke
cans in her artwork. The image on the right can be seen in
nd
the Pop Culture gallery on the 2 floor of the World of
Coca-Cola. The image on the left is another example of her
work.
Additionally, folk art by Georgia artist, Gerald Byrd
incorporates Coca-Cola products.
2005 Painting “MA BROWN SOLD COKE”
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 AfricanAmerican women to appear in the ads. Here is an ad from
1957 featured in Milestones.
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
Ms. Alexander had been a junior at Clark College in Atlanta in driving in Mississippi, but no one believed that was really his
1955 when Coca-Cola representatives came to campus to
sister! Ms. Alexander graduated from Clark in 1956,
find models for a new print campaign. Ms. Alexander’s dorm becoming a teacher and principal.
housemother encouraged her to try out and she was selected
as one of the featured models in a program that appeared in Click HERE for video reference!
newspapers, magazines and posters. In all, she appeared in
more than 10 ads for Coke, appearing with fellow students.
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
High School
Brown v. Board of Education
Political Cartoon Analysis
Political cartoons or editorial cartoons are an illustration or comic strip containing a social or political message which
usually relates to current events. They can make a powerful statement but can, at the same time, be complicated to
understand.
Directions: Analyze a political cartoon relating to civil rights by answering the questions below.
Note to teachers: Please reference the 3 cartoons relating to Brown v. Board of Education available on this website:
http://www.usd116.org/ProfDev/AHTC/lessons/GersdorfRotramel06/PoliticalCartoons.pdf. You may want to guide your students
through this process the first time.
VISUAL EXPRESSION
A. List key people or objects that stand out:
WORD EXPRESSION
B. What is the title of this cartoon?
C. Are there any words/phrases in the cartoon?
D. Are those words used by characters in the cartoon?
E. Are there any important dates/facts that appear in this
cartoon?
F. Are there any symbols in the cartoon?
G. Explain how the words in the cartoon explain the
symbols.
H. Describe any action taking place in the cartoon.
I. Which words or phrases in the cartoon appear to be the
most significant?
J. Explain what you believe the message of the cartoon is and
whether you agree or disagree with the cartoonist’s message.
K. What special interest groups would agree/disagree with
the cartoon's message? Why?