Think-Pair-ShareWhat are some problems in this school? What are some possible ways you could go about trying to fix these problems?

Rosa Parks

The Montgomery Bus Boycott What do you know about Rosa Parks?

The Classic Story Rosa Parks was a poor seamstress. [Due to

segregation at this time,] African Americans had to give up seats in front to European Americans and move to the back of the bus.

One day on her way home from work Rosa was tired and sat down in the front of the bus. As the bus got crowded she was asked to give up her seat to a European-American man, and she refused. The bus driver told her she had to go to the back of the bus, and she still refused to move. It was a hot day, and she was tired and angry and became very stubborn.

The Classic Story The driver called a policeman, who arrested Rosa.

When other African Americans in Montgomery heard this, they became angry too, so they decided to refuse to ride the busses until everyone was allowed to ride together. They boycotted the buses.

The boycott, which was led by Martin Luther King Jr., succeeded. Now African Americans and European Americans can ride the buses together in Montgomery.

Rosa Parks was a very brave person. 

Key Ideas Rosa Parks was… She refused to give up her seat

because… Other African-Americans boycotted

because… What is the moral of the story as

written?

In Fact The “classic story” is not the whole

story And parts are completely wrong

With your partner- Read Documents A-C

Answer questions for each Document Final Questions:

• Qs 1 and 2 only!

The Real Story The Montgomery Bus Boycott was pre-

planned• Members of the Women’s Political Council

(WPC) had been planning a boycott for months

• They wanted to desegregate all buses in the South

Rosa Parks was chosen to be a symbol of the movement

She was so well-known for refusing togive up her seat that some bus driverswouldn’t pick her up

Rosa Parks’ Arrest Parks’ arrest in 1955 touched off the

Bus Boycott As a result, 50,000 African-Americans

in Montgomery walked, rode bikes or carpooled to avoid city busses

Finally, the Supreme Court ruled that buses must be desegregated

Final questions Answer final questions Why do you think the classic story is

written/told as it is?

A New Phase of Activism

Greensboro, North Carolina

Memphis, Tennessee

Four Corners 2. The major problems facing the US

can be solved without violence

SA=Strongly Agree A=Mildly Agree D=Mildly Disagree SD=Strongly Disagree

Four Corners 3. The individual can make an impact

on the direction of societal events

SA=Strongly Agree A=Mildly Agree D=Mildly Disagree SD=Strongly Disagree

Sit-ins Goal: Force businesses to serve

African-Americans Tactics: African-Americans would sit

at counters and wait to be served They faced incredibly brutal

treatment

Article Read with your partner Discuss: Does this suggest racism?

Or something else entirely?