Former pubcaster uses news format to teach history of minorities in new website

Robert Miller, past director of educational publishing at WNET, has launched a new website with a unique approach to teaching African-American and Mexican-American history. Our History as News uses a newspaper format that is "engaging, exciting, immediate,” Miller told the Hispanically Speaking News site. “Because we use advertisements, short news articles and original illustrations, as well as feature stories and editorials, we offer people with all levels of reading skills the opportunity to learn.”
 
The Black Chronicle tells the story of African-Americans from 1778, when Rhode Island Slaves were promised their freedom if they fought in the Colonial armies, up through 1954, when Rosa Parks refused to sit in the back of the bus. In the bilingual La Cronica, coverage begins in 1835 when California, New Mexico, Arizona and Texas were still part of northern Mexico, and continues through 1969, when Latino students walked out of Los Angeles high schools to protest discrimination.

Miller started The Black Chronicle in 1969. Early supporters included Henry Hampton, producer of the critically acclaimed Eyes on the Prize Civil Rights documentary series.