Duck and Cover: More Than Just a Lesson on 1950’s Cold War Propaganda
Duck and Cover is more than just a lesson of Cold War history, it is also a lesson on civil rights and integration.
Duck and Cover is an educational film produced in 1951 by the U.S. Civil Defense. The film features Bert the Turtle as the main character. Bert is a cartoon character who is used to teach children what to do incase of a Soviet nuclear attack.
Typically, the film is used in history classes as part of Cold War lessons. However, there is something, in the film, that is overlooked by the majority of people watching. What is normally overlooked, is that the classrooms and schoolchildren are integrated. Watch carefully at these times and the later part of the film for black children interacting with white children. (1:36, 2:08 - 2:19, there are more shots of black children with white children in the rest of the film)
Duck and Cover - 1950s Atomic Bomb Film (9:15)
For more information on the film check out these articles:
A critical assessment of ducking and covering