1955+Montgomery+Bus+Boycott

Home TIMELINE TOPICS ASSIGNMENT: Who Is A Person In America?

Montgomery Bus Boycott by Max R

"Discrimination is a hellhound that gnaws at Negroes in every waking moment of their lives to remind them that the lie of their inferiority is accepted as truth in the society dominating them." - MLKJ "Rosa Parks rides bus in Montgomery, Alabama." Image. Library of Congress. || "Martin Luther King, Jr. speaking in church during the Montgomery bus boycott." by Dan Weiner ||
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Write a journal/newspaper style article in which you take a neutral stance (as a reporter) and give the facts about the actual event. What led up to the event? What happened during the actual event? Did it have an “end” or is it unresolved? You are to write about this event __when it happened__, you are assuming the role of a reporter in 1850, 1920, etc., __not someone looking back from 2011__. You need to cite your sources, and they must include information only available during that time period. At least one source must be primary and/or an eyewitness account. **Important - This work will be submitted to TurnItIn.com. We will provide you information about using this helpful resource**!
 * TASK I: **

NEGROES BOYCOTT MONTGOMERY CITY BUSES Published December 6th, 1955

It was a regular evening in Montgomery, Alabama on December 1st. Negro woman Rosa Parks takes her seat on bus No. 2857 in the first few rows of seats after a long day of work. As more and more passengers board the bus, the white rows become filled and bus driver James F. Blake orders Parks and several other Negroes to move to the back of the bus so the white passengers could be seated. The other Negroes did as they were told but Parks refused to move. For violating segregation laws Rosa Parks was arrested in front of the Empire Theater in result of Blake’s call to the police. Blake said “there were 22 Negroes and 14 whites seated in the 36-seat bus and that he asked [the Negroes to move in order to] equalize the seating” (Honicker 1)

When word had gone out about Parks’ arrest, The Women’s Political Council (WPC), lead by Jo Ann Robinson, began circulating thousands of leaflets to boycott Montgomery buses. The leaflets pleaded Negroes to not ride the buses on Monday, December 5th in protest of Parks’ arrest and trial. E.D. Nixon, president of the Montgomery NAACP, also called to order a meeting of Negro leaders on December 2nd, at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss the Negro boycott of the city buses starting on Monday.

Yesterday, December 5th, around 90% of the Negro community stayed off the Montgomery buses as result of the scheduled boycott. “The same day, Montgomery court convicted Parks and fined her $10 plus $4 in court cos ts” (ABC-Clio 1). It is also rumored that there has been a second meeting of leaders of the boycott at another local church yesterday evening.

Works Cited:

//Puckett, Dan J. "Montgomery Bus Boycott." American Government. ABC-CLIO, 2011. Web. 27 Sept. 2011.//

//Honicker, Bunny. "NEGRESS DRAWS FINE SEGREGATION CASE INVOLVING BUS RIDE ."// //Montgomery Bus Boycott. N.p., 5 Dec. 1955. Web. 25 Sept. 2011.// Task 1: Mastery Rubric A quality news article will: •open with an attention-grabbing headline •identify the author's name and the date of the publication (in the past) •develop the 5 W's in three power paragraphs •paragraph 1: contain an interesting lead •paragraph 2: correctly cite a secondary source (an indirect quote) •paragraph 3: correctly cite a primary source (eyewitness account) •maintain appropriate journalistic voice •read like an article written in the same time period as the event occurred • be free of mechanics and Works Cited errors

TASK II What is the Argument? When it comes to civil rights, how just are the use of Jim Crow and other segregation laws?

PROMPT 1: Why did the majority of Americans not recognize the rights of members of this group? Throughout history, America has a controversial history of segregation. Following the Reconstruction period in 1877, Jim Crow laws were passed in order to further segregate African Americans from society. As time passed, these laws became a social norm, as well as the prejudices against blacks. “The Jim Crow notion ‘separate but equal’” (ABC-Clio 1) raises the question of what true personhood meant, and the fairness of the segregation laws. Many people dismissed the idea of granting rights to African Americans because of general discrimination or fear of change. Brown, Nikki and Barry Stentiford. "Jim Crow." // American Government //. ABC-CLIO, 2011. Web. 28 Sept. 2011.

PROMPT 2: How did advocates for the minority group shed light on this injustice? Sparked by the sudden arrest of Rosa Parks for refusing to move to the back of the city bus one evening, African Americans decided to take action and protest against Jim Crow laws, specifically the law that requires all African Americans to move to the back of buses and give their seats to white passengers. Leaders of the boycott created leaflets saying "’Until we do something to stop these arrests they will continue. ... We are, therefore, asking every Negro to stay off the buses on Monday in protest of the arrest and trail. Don't ride the buses to work, to town, to school or anywhere on Monday’” (Azbell 1). The African American community used this form of peaceful protest in hopes of repealing or changing the segregation laws in order for a safe form of transportation for everyone. African Americans firmly challenged the unfair laws in hopes of obtaining their civil rights once and for all. Works Cited:  N.p., 4 Dec. 1955. Web. 26 Sept. 2011. ||
 * Abzell, Joe. "NEGRO GROUPS READY BOYCOTT OF CITY LINES ." Montgomery Boycott.


 * TASK III: **

**Sam Cooke - A Change Is Gonna Come**

I was born by the river in a little tent Oh and just like the river I've been running ever since It's been a long, a long time coming But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will

It's been too hard living but I'm afraid to die Cause I don't know what's up there beyond the sky It's been a long, a long time coming But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will

I go to the movie and I go downtown Somebody keep telling me don't hang around It's been a long, a long time coming But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will

Then I go to my brother And I say brother help me please But he winds up knocking me Back down on my knees

Ohhhhhhhhh.....

There been times that I thought I couldn't last for long But now I think I'm able to carry on It's been a long, a long time coming But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will

__Paragraph 1:__ Analyze the impact of the literary or artistic work for the minority group and/or American society as a whole. Music is commonly recognized as a powerful and inspirational form of protest. Same Cooke is an American gospel and soul singer/songwriter from the mid-20th century that used music as a tool to express his feelings towards the injustices during the Civil Rights Movement. He uses strong words in the song "A Change is Gonna Come", directly relating to segregation, for example the lyrics "I go downtown, Somebody keep telling me don't hang around, It's been a long, a long time coming, But I know a change is gonna come, oh yes it will" (Cooke). Cooke remains hopeful during a time of heavy discrimination towards African Americans. The hope that Sam Cooke portrays had helped inspire many others to continue to fight for what they believed in, because one day a change will come.

__Paragraph 2:__ CLOSING-- How did the event impact the debate on the argument? The Montgomery Bus Boycott was one of the most important protests in American history. The boycott sparked and inspired the Civil Rights Movement, which ultimately led to equality between people of all skin colors. The courage of Rosa Parks inspired African Americans to take charge and stand up for their rights as people, with equal rights as any other American. Leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. have inspired other movements in the future and has changed the perspective of who a person is by changing the world with the power of protest and hope. The Montgomery Bus Boycott has deeply influenced our history and emerged into one of the greatest movements of all time.

Works Cited:

Bowman, Rob. "Cooke, Sam." //Oxford Music Online//. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Oct. 2011. <http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/ 45920?q=Sam+Cooke&search=quick&pos=1&_start=1#firsthit>.

"Sam Cooke: A Change Is Gonna Come Lyrics." //Metro Lyrics//. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Oct. 2011. <http://www.metrolyrics.com/ a-change-is-gonna-come-lyrics-sam-cooke.html>. <span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 14px;">An outstanding product will. <span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 14px;">•showcase a work that expresses a profound idea about your event and the argument surrounding it <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 14px;">This song is a good choice to showcase the hope of Civil Rights activists <span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 14px;">•be the **best** example available, not simply the first one you find <span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 14px;">•demonstrate your ability to interpret the meaning of the literary or artistic piece <span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 14px;">•use the extended power paragraph format as a means to express your understanding of the event, argument, and how art literature and art <span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 14px;">can reveal emotions and ideas <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 14px;">Nice job with the song analysis, can you tie it into your event a bit more clearly? <span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 14px;">•reference sources accurately <span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 14px;">•mechanics are clean and effective
 * <span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 17px;">TASK III: Artistic Expression Element Rubric **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 10pt;">An outstanding time line entry includes the following: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 10pt;">• Opens by identifying you, the author, and your event with a banner headline (see an example of a banner on the top of this page). <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 10pt;">• Under the banner, in the table place two graphics or photos that illustrates an important aspect of the event. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">• Thoughtful responses to each prompt are supported by credible sources representing diverse perspectives on the event. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">• Each response should be posted in order (follow template instructions), contain few mechanic errors and follow the power paragraph format. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: left;">• The credibility of each cited source is established and internal citations accurately match the Works Cited.• TASK I and TASK II each introduce and cite two new sources; TASK III cites one new source.• The Works Cited lists 5 credible sources from the LC databases.
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