Lesson series

Power and Pride: The Origins of Pride Month

June 28, 1969, was a pivotal day in history. In the early hours of the morning, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a popular Greenwich Village bar catering to LGBTQ+ customers. Decades of escalating, state-sanctioned harassment led officers to expect everyone to leave quietly as usual. 

But if that had happened, it wouldn’t have made history.

Decades of oppression of the LGBTQ+ community, cultural shifts in the 1960s, and good troublemaking led to that fateful night at Stonewall. You’ll learn how the events on June 28 became a catalyst for change and a symbol for LGBTQ+ rights that evolved into today’s Pride festivals and marches.

This course explores the key events and personalities in the United States that ultimately shaped a global movement.