The Long Game Slides THE LONG GAME
Leadership & Advocacy in the 20th Century
High School Leadership & Student Council
Warm-up: Quote Analysis
"The struggle for civil rights is not represented by a single moment in time."
Discuss: If it's not a "single moment," what is it?
How does this challenge our modern expectation of instant results?
The Architect & The Organizer
Embedded media
Watch for the timeline of events from 1917 to 1963.
A. Philip Randolph
"The Father of the March on Washington Movement"
Organized the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (1925).
Leveraged the 1941 March threat to force Executive Order 8802.
Sustained the movement for 40+ years.
Strategic Visionary
Operational Mastermind
Bayard Rustin
The Organizer in the Shadows
Expert in Gandhian nonviolent direct action.
The primary logistics coordinator for the 1963 March.
Marginalized due to his sexuality and "Respectability Politics."
Critical Concept
Respectability Politics
The strategy where members of a marginalized group attempt to align with dominant cultural norms (dress, speech, faith) to gain approval or rights.
The Leadership Tension:
Does presenting only the "best self" help the cause, or does it leave people behind?
Activity: The Long Game Timeline
Task 1: Map the Journey
Fill in the major milestones from 1917 to 1963 on your worksheet.
Task 2: Resilience vs. Compromise
Label each event: Was this a moment of Resilience (pushing through failure) or Compromise (trading one win for another)?
Watch for these dates:
1917 1925 1937 1941 1963
Final Reflection
How does Randolph's 40+ year commitment challenge the idea of "instant" success in activism?
In your own leadership roles (Student Council, Clubs, Teams), what is a "Long Game" goal you are working toward?
How do you decide when to compromise and when to persist? The Long Game Timeline Worksheet The Long Game
Leadership & Advocacy Timeline
Student:
Date:
Warm-Up: Quote Analysis
"The struggle for civil rights is not represented by a single moment in time."
How does this quote challenge the idea of "instant" success in activism?
Mapping the Journey (1917–1963)
1917
The Messenger & Early Organizing
Resilience
Compromise
1925–1937
Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters
Resilience
Compromise
1941
Executive Order 8802 / The Canceled March
Resilience
Compromise
1963
March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom
Resilience
Compromise
Reflection: The Strategy of Advocacy
1. How did A. Philip Randolph use "Compromise" as a tactical tool rather than a defeat in 1941?
2. Respectability Politics: How does the exclusion of Bayard Rustin complicate the idea of "success" in leadership?
3. Final Thought: How does knowing this movement started in 1941 (22 years before MLK's speech) change your view of historical "moments"?
Advocacy Action Rubric Advocacy Rubric
Evaluation of Long-Term Leadership Analysis
Total Score
/ 20
Criteria Mastery (5) Proficient (3) Developing (1) Historical Accuracy & Pacing Mapping the 40-year timeline correctly.
| All key dates (1917, 1925, 1937, 1941, 1963) are accurately placed with specific historical context from the video. | Most key dates are included, though some historical details may be vague or general. | Timeline is incomplete or contains significant chronological errors. |
| Leadership Application
Identifying Resilience vs. Compromise.
| Clear, insightful labeling of "Resilience" and "Compromise" with justification that shows deep understanding of strategic trade-offs. | Labels are mostly accurate, but the justification for why a moment was "compromise" vs "resilience" is surface-level. | Labels are missing or misapplied (e.g., calling a major victory a compromise without explanation). |
| Long-Game Reflection
Analysis of 22-year gap and persistence.
| Reflection answers articulate a complex view of persistence, acknowledging that leadership often requires intergenerational effort. | Reflection answers explain the concept of waiting but don't fully connect it to modern leadership challenges. | Reflection is minimal or fails to address the concept of "The Long Game." |
| Critical Concepts
Respectability Politics & Marginalization.
| Sophisticated analysis of how Bayard Rustin’s marginalization impacts movement effectiveness and internal leadership dynamics. | Acknowledges the exclusion of Rustin but provides limited analysis on the impact of Respectability Politics. | Mention of Rustin or Respectability Politics is missing or inaccurate. |
Leadership Feedback & Notes
Leadership Development & Student Council Series
The Long Game Answer Key Teacher Key
The Long Game: Timeline & Analysis
Timeline Milestones
1917: Early Organizing Quality: Resilience
Founded The Messenger. DOJ called it "dangerous." Early union attempts for elevator operators failed/dissolved. Randolph pushed forward despite these early setbacks.
1925–1937: Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters Quality: Resilience
A 12-year struggle to get recognition. Faced opposition from the Pullman Company and even segments of the Black community. Resulted in the first-ever contract between a Black union and a major corporation.
1941: The "Canceled" March Quality: Compromise
Randolph threatened a 100k-person march. FDR issued Executive Order 8802 (banning defense industry discrimination) in exchange for canceling the march. Randolph "traded" the protest for a tangible policy win, even though it didn't desegregate the whole military.
1963: The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom Quality: Resilience / Persistence
The culmination of a 22-year-old dream. Randolph (now 74) saw the vision realized. This demonstrates the "Long Game"—the movement existed and organized for decades before the "Dream" speech happened.
Discussion Guide
Q: Why wait 22 years?
Randolph understood that social change is incremental and structural. By keeping the "March on Washington" as a movement (not just a date), he maintained political pressure on every administration from FDR to JFK.
Q: Respectability Politics & Bayard Rustin
Rustin was a genius organizer (Gandhian non-violence) but was hidden because leaders feared his sexuality would "discredit" the movement. This shows that leadership success often comes at a human cost, where certain voices are silenced to protect the "image" of the cause.
Teaching Tips
Pause at 6:46: Discuss if the 1941 compromise was "selling out" or "smart strategy." Students often disagree, which makes for great debate.Respectability Today: Ask students if they feel they have to act a certain way (dress code, "professional" voice) to be heard by school administration.Pacing: If short on time, focus on the 22-year gap between 1941 and 1963 as the central "Long Game" example. 
