Continuity of Learning Assignments Grade: 8th grade Subject: History

Day 21 and 22 Day 23 and 24 Day 25 and 26 Day 27 and 28 Day 29 and 30

Essential Activity HISTORY Read the Common Lit article called “Emmett Till” and as you read underline or circle the words you don’t know. Some are defined at the bottom of the page, but if not, look them up or ask your parents. After reading, answer all of the questions that go with the article. Make sure to look back at the article if you need to.

Essential Activity HISTORY Read the Common Lit article called “Women in the Civil Rights Movement” and as you read write a quick, one sentence, summary for each paragraph. After reading, answer all of the questions that go with the article. Make sure to look back at the article if you need to.

Essential Activity HISTORY Analyze and read the “History of Civil Rights since the Civil War” chart and answer the questions at the bottom of the page.

Essential Activity HISTORY Read the Common Lit

article called “The Sit-In

Movement” and as you

read underline or circle

the words you don’t

know. Some are defined

at the bottom of the

page, but if not look them

up or ask your parents.

After reading, answer all

the questions that go with

the article. Make sure to

look back at the article if

you need to.

Essential Activity HISTORY Read the article “Women

in the Civil Rights

Movement: Ella Baker

and the Founding of the

SNCC” and “Bigger than a

Hamburger” and answer

the questions. Answer in

complete sentences!

Extension HISTORY Journal: Do some

independent research on

Emmett Till and then write

a journal entry about him.

Think about how old he was

and how old you are now.

How different would your

life be if you had lived when

he did?

Extension HISTORY Achieve 3000 Article “Teen Takes Her Place in History” and complete the reading connections by summarizing each paragraph.

Extension HISTORY

Journal: Choose one of the

laws, cases, or events from

the “History of Civil Rights

since the Civil War” chart

and research it some

more. Then write about

how that law, case, or

event has impacted your

life today.

Extension HISTORY

Journal: Do some more

research on other types

of non-violent protest. Do

you think this is a good

way to accomplish your

goal? Why or Why not?

Extension HISTORY Current Event Friday:

Take journal or sheet of

paper (keep up with every

week) and write what is

going on in the news or

new articles concerning

the COVID-19 virus.

Name: Class:

"Emmett Till Before" by Image Editor is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Emmett TillBy Jessica McBirney

2016

Emmett Louis Till (1941-1955) was a fourteen-year-old African American boy from Chicago who was lynchedin Mississippi after reportedly 6irting with a white woman, Carolyn Bryant. "Lynching" refers to killingsomeone for an alleged o7ense with or without a legal trial, and the act is often linked to angry mobs andrace. The injustice of his murder inspired many in the Civil Rights Movement. In a book published in 2017,Bryant said she made up her original accusations, sparking further discussion around Till’s death andlegacy. As you read, note the racial climate of the South in which Emmett Till was killed.

The murder of Emmett Till is a crime thatcontinues to resonate1 with people around theworld because of its brutality, and the fact that noone has ever been brought to justice for hiskilling. There have been varied accounts of whatprovoked his killers to act but, ultimately, the factremains that the young boy was kidnapped,tortured and murdered for no other reason thanthe color of his skin.

Emmett Till grew up in a middle-class,predominantly black neighborhood in Chicago,raised by his mother, Mamie Till. His great uncleMose Wright traveled up from Mississippi toChicago, in the summer of 1955, to visit Emmettand his mother. When Wright returned to thesouth, Emmett begged his mother to let him tagalong, to visit the rest of the family. She relented,2

but sent him with a warning: Mississippi is verydiOerent from Chicago – make sure to behaveyourself around the white people down there. Emmett agreed he would. He was 14 years old.

Flirting with Danger

He arrived in his uncle’s hometown, Money, Mississippi, in late August. On the evening of August 24th,Emmett and several cousins stopped into a local store to buy candy, where they encountered a youngwhite woman named Carolyn Bryant. She and her husband, Roy Bryant, owned the store. Earlier in theweek, Emmett had bragged to his cousins about the white girls he’d dated at school in Chicago, so theydared him to say something to Carolyn as she sat behind the counter.

[1]

1. Resonate (verb): to create strong feelings or memories2. Relent (verb): to agree to do or accept something after resisting or refusing

1

Emmett entered the store alone. Accounts have varied as to what Emmett did or said to her. For a longtime, it was believed that he may have wolf-whistled, touched her hand, or asked her on a date.However, in an interview from 2007, Carolyn Bryant said “nothing that boy did could ever justify whathappened to him,” and she confessed that she made up her claims that he had made a physicaladvance on her.3 Carolyn said that she did not remember what else happened that night, but it isknown that she responded to Emmett Till by running outside to retrieve a pistol from her car. Whenthe boys saw the gun, they ran away from the store to avoid more trouble.

The Murder

Roy Bryant heard about the incident a few days later and began questioning black men around town toLnd out who had done it. He eventually traced it back to Emmett. Bryant and a friend, J. W. Milam,broke into Mose Wright’s house in the early morning hours of August 28, 1955, and demanded to knowwho had “harassed” his wife. They threatened to shoot Emmett, told him to get dressed, and led himoutside to their pickup truck.

Bryant, Milam and several other men — both black and white — drove out of town, stopping twice tobeat Emmett severely. Later that morning, Emmett’s Uncle Mose called the authorities and reportedBryant and Milam for kidnapping. They were arrested shortly thereafter, and Emmett was presumedstill missing.

Three days after the abduction,4 a Lsherman discovered Emmett’s body in the water of the TallahatchieRiver. The corpse was so disLgured5 from the beatings and from being in the water so long that theonly way it could be identiLed was by a ring on Emmett’s Lnger, bearing his initials.

The Funeral

When Mamie Till found out about the murder, she insisted that the body be sent back to Chicagoimmediately, whatever the cost. When she saw Emmett’s mutilated6 face and body, she also insistedthey hold an open-casket funeral, so everyone could see the worst eOects of racism in the U.S.

Tens of thousands of people came to see Emmett and show their support for his mother. Newspapersacross the country carried the story.

The Trial

Bryant and Milam stood trial for Emmett’s murder in late September, 1955. Lawyers for the defenseargued that the body was too disLgured to be properly identiLed, and they claimed Emmett wasprobably still alive and simply had not turned up yet. Mose Wright testiLed against his nephew’smurderers, the Lrst black man to testify against white men in the state of Mississippi.

[5]

[10]

3. Carolyn Bryant made this confession to author Timothy Tyson during a 2007 interview, and it was published in hisbook, The Blood of Emmett Till, in 2017.

4. the act of kidnapping someone5. damaged in appearance6. cut or injured severely, with lasting damage

2

The jury was made up of entirely white men. After listening to the facts of the case for Lve days, theydeliberated7 for just 67 minutes before concluding that Bryant and Milam were not guilty. One jurorsaid in an interview, “If we hadn’t stopped to drink pop,8 it wouldn’t have taken that long.”

Just one year later, in 1956, Bryant and Milam sold their story to Look magazine. In the interview theygave their account of the murder for the very Lrst time (they did not speak during their trial). Becausethey were found not guilty, they could not be tried again in a court of law for the murder. Theyadmitted to everything, including shooting him to death, and Llled in many details from the story.According to their account in the interview, their original intent was to beat him up and leave him on ariverbank, just to teach him a lesson. But as they continued to beat him, Emmett called them namesand insisted he was just as good as they were. Presumably out of anger, they drove to the edge of theTallahatchie, shot Emmett in the head, tied a weight around his neck with barbed wire, and threw hisbody into the water.

Milam explained why he felt he had to kill Emmet: “‘Chicago boy,’ I said, ‘I’m tired of ‘em sending yourkind down here to stir up trouble. I’m going to make an example of you – just so everybody can knowhow me and my folks stand.’” Throughout the interview, the two men never showed any sign of guilt orwrongdoing; in their minds they had done what was right to protect their families and their country –they were heroes. Mamie Till later conLrmed that “they never regretted what they had done.… He saidhe would do the same thing over again, to whoever got in his way. I felt sorry for him.”

A Symbol for Civil Rights

Reactions to the feature in Look shed light on the complex race issues facing the country in the 1950s.Letters to the editor Mooded in, some congratulating the interviewer’s bravery. One preacher fromOhio wrote, “You are to be complimented for your willingness to stick your neck out in this manner forthe sake of justice.”

But others condemned the piece: “By this example of opinionated, baseless reporting, Look itself paysscant recognition to the traditions of American Justice it claims were ignored,” said one Mississippireporter. Another writer defended Bryant and Milam, saying, “[They] did what had to be done, andtheir courage… is to be commended.9 To have followed any other course would have been unrealistic[and] cowardly.” Reactions like these across the South prompted people to understand the need forgreater equality between blacks and whites.

Emmett Till’s murder became one of the most important catalysts10 of the Civil Rights movement in the1960s. When Rosa Parks famously refused to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, inDecember of 1955, she said later she had been thinking of Emmett and the injustice he experienced.Her action sparked the year-long Montgomery Bus Boycott, which brought the Civil Rights movementto the national stage.

[15]

7. Deliberate (verb): to think about or discuss issues and decisions carefully8. soda9. Commend (verb): to praise

10. Catalyst (noun): something that initiates or speeds up a change or action

3

"Emmett Till" by Jessica McBirney. Copyright © 2016 by CommonLit, Inc. This text is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

Two years later, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1957, which set up protections for black votersand established the Civil Rights Division in the Justice Department; federal oNcials could now getdirectly involved in cases where civil rights were being abridged. Later, the Civil Rights Act of 1964ended all forms of segregation11 in public places and banned employment discrimination.

Mamie Till, who passed away in 2003, understood the signiLcance of Emmett’s death. She herselfbecame actively involved in empowering black youth in Chicago. But the pain of her son’s murdernever left her completely. “This is what really started the civil rights movement, that’s what everyonetells me. But I was not trying to start anything. I was just upset that my only child was gone, and soneedlessly.”

Emmett Till was brutally murdered because of who he was. There is nothing that can explain or justifywhat happened to him. Even more disturbingly, there have been thousands of other African Americanswho were also lynched, and many of their names have been erased from history. Because of thecircumstances surrounding his death and Mamie Till's refusal to let his death be in vain, 12 his story hasbecome one of the most well-known.

11. referring to the separation diOerent races, classes, or ethnic groups, namely the separation of white people andblack people in the U.S.

12. without success or a result

4

Text-Dependent QuestionsDirections: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete sentences.

1. PART A: Which TWO statements best describe the central ideas of the article?A. Emmett Till was an innocent boy who was hurt because he was in the wrong

place at the wrong time.B. Emmett Till’s murder prompted Mississippi to move its justice system to be

fairer towards all.C. The national attention received by Emmett Till’s murder embarrassed many

Southerners into Lghting for racial equality.D. Emmett Till was an ordinary boy who became the victim of some Southerners’

hate and fear.E. Emmett Till’s death turned him into a symbol of America’s racial injustice,

inspiring many to promote equality for all.F. Emmett Till’s death revealed that all Southerners thought he deserved to die for

daring to Mirt with a white woman.

2. PART B: Which TWO of the following phrases from the text best support the answer to PartA?

A. “Earlier in the week Emmett had bragged to his cousins about the white girlshe’d dated at school in Chicago, so they dared him to say something to Carolynas she sat behind the counter.” (Paragraph 3)

B. “‘Chicago boy,’ I said, ‘I’m tired of ‘em sending your kind down here to stir uptrouble. I’m going to make an example of you – just so everybody can know howme and my folks stand.’” (Paragraph 13)

C. “Mamie Till later conLrmed that ‘they never regretted what they had done.… Hesaid he would do the same thing over again, to whoever got in his way. I feltsorry for him.’” (Paragraph 13)

D. “Emmett Till’s murder became one of the most important catalysts of the CivilRights movement in the 1960s.” (Paragraph 16)

E. “Later, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ended all forms of segregation in public placesand banned employment discrimination.” (Paragraph 17)

F. “‘But I was not trying to start anything. I was just upset that my only child wasgone, and so needlessly.’” (Paragraph 18)

3. Which statement best describes how Mamie Till was aOected by her son’s death?A. Mamie Till was embarrassed her son was murdered and withdrew from public

view.B. Mamie Till felt that she needed to share what happened to her son to show how

bad racism was in the South.C. Mamie Till was inspired to Lght for the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1957.D. Mamie Till was celebrated after she forgave the killers of her son during an

interview with Look Magazine.

5

4. How does the following sentence from paragraph 13 contribute to the author's portrayal ofSouthern beliefs about race at the time of the murder: "Throughout the interview, the twomen never showed any sign of guilt or wrongdoing; in their minds they had done what wasright to protect their families and their country – they were heroes."

A. A belief existed in some segregated Southern communities that black men whoasserted their equality were dangerous to individuals and the social order.

B. In the South, everyone believed that all African Americans were dangerous tothe community and deserved to be monitored and put in their place.

C. Southern white men were threatened by their wives’ attraction to AfricanAmerican men and retaliated with aggressive behavior towards black men.

D. Defending the home and family is a Southern tradition that prevents peoplefrom feeling remorse for hurting others.

5. How does background on Emmett Till’s life help us understand the impact of his murder?

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Discussion QuestionsDirections: Brainstorm your answers to the following questions in the space provided. Be prepared toshare your original ideas in a class discussion.

1. Emmett Till’s murder was one of many causes for social unrest and the Civil RightsMovement. Can you think of similar catalysts for social movements then or now? What dothese events have in common?

2. In the context of this article, what are the eOects of prejudice? Cite evidence from thearticle, your personal experience, and other literature, art, and history in your answer.

3. Do you believe that Carolyn Bryant was afraid of Emmett Till? What do you think motivatedher and her husband to act the way that they did? How did fear drive their actions, andwhat could they be said to be so afraid of?

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Name: Class:

"Photograph of a Young Woman at the Civil Rights March onWashington, D.C. with a Banner, August 28, 1963" by Jared Enos islicensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Women in the Civil Rights MovementBy Barrett Smith

2017

The Civil Rights Movement was a social movement in the United States that fought to end racial segregationand discrimination against African Americans. While we continue to recognize the leaders of this movementand those who contributed, the men of the movement are far more celebrated and remembered than thewomen. In this informational text, Barrett Smith discusses the role that women played in the Civil RightsMovement. As you read, take notes on how women contributed to the Civil Rights Movement and how othersresponded to their contributions.

When most people think of the Civil RightsMovement and the people who led it, they thinkof Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, MedgarEvers, and other men. But in reality, women werevery important participants in and organizers ofthe movement. Though women at the time wereexpected to take more of a background role,many women became leaders of organizationsand protests. However, they are often forgottenin history. Rosa Parks is the most well-knownwoman in the Civil Rights Movement, but the wayher story is told makes her seem like more of asymbol than the important leader that she reallywas.

Many people think Rosa Parks was just a tiredseamstress who didn’t feel like getting up on the bus one day, but in reality, she had been involved inplanning and organizing against racism for years. The day she refused to get up on the bus was not theErst time she had thought about resisting this way; in fact, she was inFuenced by Jo Ann Robinson, thehead of the Women’s Political Council who called for a bus boycott1 after being verbally attacked by awhite bus driver in 1949. After the actions of Rosa Parks sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, womenfrom many diGerent organizations became the leading force that kept the boycott going. Theyarranged carpools and had bake sales to raise money for alternative transportation for those peoplewho normally took the bus. When it became clear that the boycott was working and starting to have aninFuence, men took control and came to the forefront. At the Erst mass meeting after the boycott, themen in charge refused to let Rosa Parks speak. They said she had already done enough.

This is an example of the huge impact women had on the movement even though they remained inthe background. Here are some other women who were important to the Civil Rights Movement:

[1]

1. Boycott (verb): to refuse to having dealings with a person or business as a protest

1

Ella Baker

Ella Baker was one of the founders of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and theStudent Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), two very important organizations in the CivilRights Movement. She helped spread the movement and persuade women and young people to getinvolved. She also started a northern support group that raised money and supplies to help people inthe South.

Septima Clark

Septima Clark was an activist whose work laid the groundwork for the Civil Rights Movement. She wasa teacher who created a literacy program to teach African Americans to read and write. During thistime, many states used literacy tests to prevent African American people — many of whom didn’t knowhow to read and write — from voting.

Viola Liuzzo

Viola Liuzzo was a high school dropout and mother of Eve who became involved in the Civil RightsMovement when she returned to school. She was shot at age 39 while transporting freedom marchers2

in Alabama.

There were many more women who were key participants in the Civil Rights Movement. Women werethe majority of members in many local chapters of civil rights organizations like the NationalAssociation for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Black Panther Party. They werealso the majority at many grassroots3 protests. Women organized these events, cooked and preparedfor rallies, and then cleaned up afterwards before getting ready for the next one. As Mildred BondRoxborough, a secretary of the NAACP said, “without women we wouldn’t have an NAACP.”

However, in spite of the importance of women in the Civil Rights Movement, they had to deal withsexism4 and discrimination within the movement. When they asked for a representative at the 1963March on Washington, the men organizing the march denied their request. They were oGered seats onthe platform and told they already had the famous gospel singer, Mahalia Jackson, as a representative.However, Jackson was not allowed to make a speech. Women were disappointed by being deniedadequate representation, but they still supported the march because they knew it would have a hugeimpact on the country.

Black women were oppressed not only by racism but also by sexism. Even within the Civil RightsMovement, they were often denied positions of leadership, overshadowed by men, and sexuallyharassed. Women leaders had to Eght for resources as the men usually had Erst pick. But when theytried to speak out against the sexism in the Civil Rights Movement, the men said that they were takingthe focus away from what it was really about — racism. Because of this, women felt like they had tochoose one battle to Eght. At the time, many black women thought race was more important.

[5]

2. people who marched to protest the government’s restriction of and lack of support for civil rights3. ordinary people in a society or an organization, especially a political party4. the prejudice or discrimination against women, on the basis of sex

2

“Women in the Civil Rights Movement” by Barrett Smith. Copyright © 2017 by CommonLit, Inc. This text is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

The Black Power Movement5 started in 1966 as a movement that called for black empowerment. Aspart of the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement, the Black Power Movement sought diGerent ways toachieve and organize for equal rights and made involvement for women in the movement even harder.Before the Black Power Movement, organizations often made decisions by taking a vote and coming toa collective agreement, which made it easier for women to Ell leadership positions. The leadership ofthe Black Power Movement was hierarchical,6 and men were always in charge.

The discrimination that African American women — and many other women of color — faced in theCivil Rights Movement inspired many to join the feminist movements7 that arose in the 1970s.However, these women did not allow discrimination to prevent them from being part of the Eght forracial justice, seeking leadership positions, and struggling within the movement for equal treatmentand acknowledgment.

[10]

5. a social movement that called for the independent development of political and social institutions for black peopleand emphasized pride in black culture

6. arranged in order of rank7. movements that sought to secure legal, economic, and social equality for women

3

Text-Dependent QuestionsDirections: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete sentences.

1. PART A: Which of the following identiEes a central idea of the text?A. Black women had an immense impact on the success of the Civil Rights

Movement but were frequently disrespected and went unacknowledgedbecause of their gender.

B. While black women made signiEcant contributions to the Civil Rights Movement,they were unable to participate to the extent that men did because of theirresponsibilities at home.

C. Black women were prevented from contributing to the Civil Rights Movementbecause men feared they would have to endure violence.

D. While black women believed that gender equality was more important thanracial equality, men pressured them to take up the Eght for racial equality.

2. PART B: Which detail from the text best supports the answer to Part A?A. “When it became clear that the boycott was working and starting to have an

inFuence, men took control and came to the forefront.” (Paragraph 2)B. “Women organized these events, cooked and prepared for rallies, and then

cleaned up afterwards before getting ready for the next one.” (Paragraph 7)C. “However, in spite of the importance of women in the Civil Rights Movement,

they had to deal with sexism and discrimination within the movement.”(Paragraph 8)

D. “But when they tried to speak out against the sexism in the Civil RightsMovement, the men said that they were taking the focus away from what it wasreally about — racism.” (Paragraph 9)

3. PART A: How does the author’s reference to Rosa Parks in paragraph 2 contribute to theoverall text?

A. It shows how important the contributions of black women were to the CivilRights Movement.

B. It provides an example of a black woman who was adequately recognized forher contributions.

C. It shows how black women were silenced and prevented from providing furtheraid to the movement because of their gender.

D. It gives an example of how women worked in the background of the Civil RightsMovement.

4. PART B: Which quote from paragraph 2 best supports the answer to Part A?A. “The day she refused to get up on the bus was not the Erst time she had thought

about resisting this way”B. “After the actions of Rosa Parks sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, women

from many diGerent organizations became the leading force that kept theboycott going.”

C. “When it became clear that the boycott was working and starting to have aninFuence, men took control and came to the forefront.”

D. “At the Erst mass meeting after the boycott, the men in charge refused to letRosa Parks speak. They said she had already done enough.”

4

5. How did the struggles of black women during the Civil Rights Movement compare to thestruggles of black men?

5

Discussion QuestionsDirections: Brainstorm your answers to the following questions in the space provided. Be prepared toshare your original ideas in a class discussion.

1. How do you think the Civil Rights Movement would have been impacted if movementleaders had addressed the sexism that women faced?

2. How did the expectations surrounding black women during the Civil Rights Movementcompare to the expectations for black men? Do you think black women continue to strugglewith having their voices heard in the Eght for racial and gender equality? If so, in whatways? Have you ever been silenced because of your gender or race? If so, describe theexperience.

3. How did women contribute to the change that was achieved through the Civil RightsMovement? What other signiEcant changes have women been responsible for creatingthroughout history?

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Photo credit and all related images:AP Photo/Julie Jacobson

When she was 15, Claudette Colvinrefused to surrender her bus seat,

just as Rosa Parks did. However, fewpeople have heard Colvin's story.

Printed by: LAUREN ADAMSPrinted on: April 7, 2020

Teen Takes Her Place in History

Article

PART 1

MONTGOMERY, Alabama. On March 2, 1955,nine months before civil rights leader RosaParks violated a local law by refusing tosurrender her seat to a white person on aMontgomery bus, 15-year-old Claudette Colvinwas dragged off a Montgomery bus by policeand jailed for the same crime. The court casethat followed led to the end of segregation onMontgomery city buses. Parks became reveredfor her part in the story of the civil rightsmovement. However, Colvin and her storyremained largely unknown. Now, more than 50years later, 69-year-old Colvin is finally receivingher due recognition.

Colvin found herself at the center of the strugglefor equal rights shortly after her arrest forviolating segregation laws. Several African-American leaders met with police in an attempt toresolve the case. Among them was the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King. King, then 26, hadjust arrived in Montgomery to begin work as a pastor. Thanks to help from this group and thecommunity, a judge ultimately dropped two of the charges against the teenager. However, heupheld the conviction for assaulting the arresting officers, despite testimony to the contraryfrom a classmate. Colvin was ordered to pay a small fine.

Colvin's arrest came at a time in history when the idea of a bus boycott was growing strongerin the African-American community. The purpose of the boycott would be to reverse laws thatracially segregated Montgomery buses. Boycott organizers weren't sure she was the onewhose case should initiate such a risky campaign.

"It always gets to the point where she's deemed unacceptable to be the face of themovement," said author Phillip Hoose. Hoose recently published a book about Colvin's life.

Nine months after Colvin's incident on the bus, a seamstress named Rosa Parks stood upagainst segregation. She launched the historic Montgomery Bus Boycott. Thus, she won aplace in history.

Although she did not turn out to be the face of the bus boycott, Colvin played a role in endingit. She also played a role in advancing civil rights. A year after her arrest, she became aplaintiff in a lawsuit that challenged the constitutionality of segregated public transportation.The U.S. District Court ruled 2-1 in their favor. The decision was upheld by the SupremeCourt. The case led to the end of segregation on buses. It also ended the bus boycott thatkick-started the civil rights movement.

Even then, however, Colvin won scant recognition. Until now, she remained a footnote tohistory.

Hoose stumbled upon Colvin's story while conducting research for a book on the role ofyoung people in U.S. history. It took him more than six years to track down Colvin. She wasliving in the Bronx, a borough of New York City. After a series of interviews with his subject,Hoose wrote his new book, Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice. The story is told in partin Colvin's own voice. In the book, Colvin talked about her moment of defiance. She said shewas inspired by figures she learned about during her school's Negro History Week.

"It was Sojourner Truth pushing me back down on the seat, saying 'Girl, you can't get up,'and Harriet Tubman, too," Colvin said. "All of those people were in the back of my mind."

Colvin said she harbored no resentment about her lack of recognition. However, she wasdisappointed that her story and that of her fellow plaintiffs had gotten little attention. She saidshe was proud, however, to be able to tell her five grandchildren of her accomplishments andbelieves her sacrifices made life better for them.

Hoose said he was surprised that Colvin's story had never been chronicled in detail. Hehopes his book will create a greater awareness of the young civil rights pioneer.

"I hope [the book] makes it impossible to talk about the beginnings of the civil rightsmovement without really describing what Claudette Colvin did," Hoose said. "That's really myown standard for the success or failure of the book."

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

PART 2

Dig Deeper

The arrest of 15-year-old Claudette Colvin in March 1955 was one in a string of events thathelped end legal segregation on city buses in Montgomery, Alabama. These events includedthe arrest of Rosa Parks and the subsequent Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Contrary to popular belief, Parks did not refuse to give up her seat in December 1955 simplybecause she was tired. Parks was a member of the NAACP, a civil rights group, and sheintended to defy segregation laws. At the time, Montgomery law said that the first 10 seats ina city bus were reserved for white passengers. Parks sat just behind these rows, in themiddle section of the bus. African Americans were allowed to sit in these center rows. Butthey had to give up their seats to accommodate white passengers. When the bus becamecrowded, Parks refused to move, prompting the bus driver to call the police. Parks wasarrested.

Civil rights activists had long been looking for a catalyst to a boycott of the city's buses. Thehighly respected Parks was an ideal symbol for a protest. Parks' arrest helped leaders rallythousands of African Americans to their cause. A young clergyman named Dr. Martin LutherKing led the protest effort. The Montgomery Bus Boycott lasted nearly 13 months. During thistime, participants walked or carpooled to their destinations. Faced with empty seats, the buscompany began to lose money.

Meanwhile, in February 1956, lawyers filed a petition on behalf of four African-Americanwomen who had been mistreated on Montgomery buses. One of these women was teenagerClaudette Colvin. The case, which challenged the constitutionality of Montgomery's bussegregation laws, went to a U.S. district court as Browder v. Gayle. In June 1956, the courtruled that the laws were indeed unconstitutional. The defendants appealed the decision,taking the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. On December 17, 1956, the Court rejected theappeal. Three days later, King and other activists voted to end the bus boycott. The buseswere integrated on December 21, 1956.

Dictionary

boycott (noun) the act of protesting by refusing to have dealings with someone or something

deem (verb) to consider

integrate (verb) to end segregation and bring people together in a place where people were previouslyseparated by race, or to give a group equal opportunities for something

revered (adjective) respected

segregation (noun) the act of keeping people of different races apart, usually by law

violate (verb) to break a law

Activity

PART 1

Question 1

Which of the following best describes one similarity between Claudette Colvin and Rosa Parks?

They both violated the law by refusing to surrender their bus seats to white people.

They were both 15 years old at the time of their historic scenes of defiance.

They were both plaintiffs in a lawsuit on the constitutionality of segregated busing.

They both attended Negro History Week at a local Montgomery School.

Question 2The article states:

Colvin talked about her moment of defiance.

Which would be the closest synonym for the word defiance?

Commitment

Conviction

Disability

Disobedience

Question 3

According to the article, what is one benefit of the lawsuit in which Claudette Colvin was aplaintiff?

It caused Dr. Martin Luther King to move to Montgomery to help the community.

It forced the judge to drop two of the charges against the teenage Colvin.

It ended the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which kick-started the civil rights movement.

It inspired Montgomery community leaders to initiate the bus boycott.

Question 4Suppose that John wants to find out about Harriet Tubman. He would find most of hisinformation __________.

In a genealogy chart of Claudette Colvin's family

In a historical account of the Montgomery Bus Boycott

In a guide to the city of Montgomery, Alabama

In a biography of prominent African-American leaders

Question 5Which of these is a statement of opinion?

Colvin was lucky that the police agreed to discuss her case with civil rights leaders.

Colvin's incident on the bus took place nine months before Rosa Parks broke the law.

Colvin said she believes her sacrifices made life better for her grandchildren.

Colvin's story was recently told in a book written by author Phillip Hoose.

Question 6

Which is the closest synonym for the word deem?

Rival

Linger

Jeer

Reckon

Question 7Which information is not in the article?

The profession of Dr. Martin Luther King when he came to Montgomery

The amount of the fine Colvin had to pay for her assault conviction

The number of grandchildren Colvin has

The type of work done by Rosa Parks

Question 8Which of these is most important to include in a summary of this article?

Like Rosa Parks, Claudette Colvin refused to give up her bus seat to a white person.

Dr. Martin Luther King was 26 when he first arrived in Montgomery, Alabama.

Colvin's classmate was present as Colvin was taken off the bus.

New York City is where Phillip Hoose finally located Claudette Colvin.

Name:

History of Civil Rights Since the Civil War

Dred Scott Decision (1857) Supreme Court ruling that African-Americans are not American citizens.

Emancipation Proclamation

(1863) Lincoln’s Civil War proclamation that freed slaves in rebelling territories.

Thirteenth Amendment

(1865) Officially bans slavery in the United States forever.

Fourteenth Amendment

(1868) Grants African-Americans full American citizenship.

Fifteenth Amendment

(1870) Grants African-American men the right to vote.

Jim Crow Laws (1890s)

Variety of laws passed across the South to deny rights to African-Americans and keep them separate from whites.

Plessy v Ferguson (1896) Made segregation legal in the South as long as facilities were equal.

NAACP (1909) Group formed by African-Americans that used the courts to secure equal rights victories.

Brown v Board of Education (1954)

Ruled that separated educational facilities are unequal “Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal. (Separating children) solely

because of their race generates a feeling of inferiority as to their status in the community that may affect their hearts and minds in a way unlikely to be undone.” – Chief Justice

Earl Warren

1. What did the Court rule in Plessy?

2. What did the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments do?

3. How did the NAACP fight for civil rights?

4. What is the difference between the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th amendment?

5. What was the Supreme Court’s ruling in Brown?

6. How did Brown contradict previous laws?

© Students of History - http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Students-Of-History

Name: Class:

"5 – The U.S. Civil Rights Movement" by U.S. Embassy The Hague islicensed under CC BY-ND 2.0

The Sit-In MovementBy USHistory.org

2016

The Civil Rights Movement (1954-1968) was a social movement in the United States during which activistsattempted to end racial segregation and discrimination against African Americans. This movementemployed several di3erent types of protests. As you read, identify the tactics that civil rights activists used tooppose racial segregation.

By 1960, the Civil Rights Movement had gainedstrong momentum. The nonviolent measuresemployed by Martin Luther King Jr.1 helpedAfrican American activists win supporters acrossthe country and throughout the world.

On February 1, 1960, the peaceful activistsintroduced a new tactic into their set ofstrategies. Four African American collegestudents walked up to a whites-only lunchcounter at the local Woolworth’s store inGreensboro, North Carolina, and asked forcoHee. When service was refused, the studentssat patiently. Despite threats and intimidation,the students sat quietly and waited to be served.

The civil rights sit-in was born.

No one participated in a sit-in of this sort without seriousness of purpose. The instructions weresimple: sit quietly and wait to be served. Often the participants would be jeered and threatened bylocal customers. Sometimes they would be pelted with food or ketchup. Protestors did not respondwhen provoked by angry onlookers. In the event of a physical attack, the student would curl up into aball on the Goor and take the punishment. Any violent reprisal would undermine the spirit of the sit-in.When the local police came to arrest the demonstrators, another line of students would take thevacated seats.

Sit-in organizers believed that if the violence were only on the part of the white community, the worldwould see the righteousness of their cause. Before the end of the school year, over 1500 blackdemonstrators were arrested. But their sacriFce brought results. Slowly, but surely, restaurantsthroughout the South began to abandon their policies of segregation.2

[1]

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1. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) was an American Baptist minister and leader of the African-American Civil RightsMovement.

2. Segregation (noun): the enforced separation of diHerent racial groups

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The Sit-In Movement by USHistory.org is licensed under CC BY 4.0.

In April 1960, Martin Luther King Jr. sponsored a conference to discuss strategy. Students from theNorth and the South came together and formed the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee(SNCC). Early leaders included Stokely Carmichael3 and Fannie Lou Hamer.4 The Congress on RacialEquality (CORE) was a northern group of students led by James Farmer,5 which also endorsed directaction. These groups became the grassroots6 organizers of future sit-ins at lunch counters, wade-ins atsegregated swimming pools, and pray-ins at white-only churches.

Bolstered7 by the success of direct action, CORE activists planned the Frst freedom ride in 1961. Tochallenge laws mandating segregated interstate transportation, busloads of integrated black and whitestudents rode through the South. The Frst freedom riders left Washington, D.C., in May 1961 en routeto New Orleans. Several participants were arrested in bus stations. When the buses reached Anniston,Alabama, an angry mob slashed the tires on one bus and set it aGame. The riders on the other buswere violently attacked, and the freedom riders had to complete their journey by plane.

New Attorney General Robert Kennedy ordered federal marshals to protect future freedom rides.Bowing to political and public pressure, the Interstate Commerce Commission8 soon bannedsegregation on interstate travel. Progress was slow indeed, but the wall between the races wasgradually being eroded.

3. Stokely Carmichael (1941-1998) was a prominent activist during the Civil Rights Movement, and was a leader ofseveral groups in support of the rights of black people.

4. Fannie Lou Hamer (1917-1977) was an activist for civil rights and African-American voting rights.5. James Leonard Farmer Jr. (1920-1999) was a civil rights activist and a leader in the Civil Rights Movement, working

alongside Martin Luther King Jr.6. “Grassroots” are the most basic level of an activity or organization, relying on local support and volunteerism to

eHect change. Grassroots tactics include fundraising, registering voters, and merely encouraging politicalconversations among the public

7. Bolster (verb): to support or strengthen8. The Interstate Commerce Commission regulates railroads and common carriers, such as interstate bus lines, to

prevent rate discrimination.

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Text-Dependent QuestionsDirections: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete sentences.

1. PART A: Which statement best identiFes the central idea of the text?A. Despite the violence civil rights activists endured, the sit-in movement

inGuenced desegregation and inspired other protests.B. Civil rights activists did not believe the sit-in movement would reverse

segregation, but they wanted to draw nationwide attention to racial prejudice inthe South.

C. Although Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other civil rights activists usednonviolent means of resistance, they were considered weak by white racists.

D. The sit-in movement was a brave attempt to end segregation in the South, but itwas not as eHective as the freedom riders.

2. PART B: Which quote from the text best supports the answer to Part A?A. “In the event of a physical attack, the student would curl up into a ball on the

Goor and take the punishment.” (Paragraph 4)B. “But their sacriFce brought results. Slowly, but surely, restaurants throughout

the South began to abandon their policies of segregation.” (Paragraph 5)C. “Sit-in organizers believed that if the violence were only on the part of the white

community, the world would see the righteousness of their cause.” (Paragraph5)

D. “Bowing to political and public pressure, the Interstate Commerce Commissionsoon banned segregation on interstate travel.” (Paragraph 8)

3. PART A: What is the meaning of “reprisal” in paragraph 4?A. attentionB. behaviorC. movementD. retaliation

4. PART B: Which detail from paragraph 4 best supports the answer to Part A?A. “without seriousness of purpose”B. “jeered and threatened by local customers”C. “Protestors did not respond when provoked”D. “police came to arrest the demonstrators”

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5. How does paragraph 7 contribute to the development of ideas in the text?

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Discussion QuestionsDirections: Brainstorm your answers to the following questions in the space provided. Be prepared toshare your original ideas in a class discussion.

1. Consider other forms of protesting, such as marching and rioting. In your opinion, are sit-ins the most eHective form of protest? Why or why not?

2. What forms of protest do you see occurring today? In your opinion, is it more common tosee violent or peaceful protests?

3. In the context of the article, how do people create change? What was required of civil rightsactivists in order to achieve their goals? Cite evidence from this text, your own experience,and other literature, art, or history in your answer.

4. Why does promoting equal rights promote peace? Do you believe that the protestors of thesit-in movement were successful in promoting peace?

5

Background Information Women have played an integral role in all major events in American history and the Civil Rights Movement is no exception. According to SCLC’s Andy Young, “It was woman going door to door, speaking with their neighbors, meeting in voter-registration classes together, organizing through their churches that gave the vital momentum and energy to the movement, that made it a mass movement.” Others, like Ella J. Baker played a more active and visible role in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950’s and 1960’s. Baker first gained recognition for her work as field secretary for the NAACP. Later she served as executive director of the SCLC under Martin Luther King, Jr, and finally contributed to the founding of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). Baker worked not only to further the rights of African Americans but also sought to create a movement that moved away from control by a few charismatic leaders to one in which members had the opportunity to participate in the decision-making process. When the Greensboro sit-ins began, Baker suggested that the SCLC organize a meeting to provide direction to the students. This meeting, called the “Sacrifice for Dignity,” held at Shaw University in Raleigh, NC, served as the launching pad for SNCC. At this meeting Baker urged the 300 students who had gathered to find ways to cultivate leadership within their group and to work hard at maintaining control of the goals and direction of the sit-in movement. The following documents address not only the core beliefs of SNCC, but also the philosophy of activism, independence, and leadership that Baker advocated.

Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) Founding Statement

We affirm the philosophical or religious ideal of non-violence as the foundation of our purpose, the presupposition of our belief, and the manner of our action.

Nonviolence, as it grows from the Judeo-Christian tradition, seeks a social order of justice permeated by love. Integration of human endeavor represents the crucial first step towards such a society.

Through non-violence, courage displaces fear. Love transcends hate. Acceptance dissipates prejudice; hope ends despair. Faith reconciles doubt. Peace dominates war. Mutual regards cancel enmity. Justice for all overthrows injustice. The redemptive community supersedes immoral social systems.

By appealing to conscience and standing on the moral nature of human existence, non-violence nurtures the atmosphere in which reconciliation and justice become actual possibilities.

Although each local group in this movement must diligently work out the clear meaning of this statement of purpose, each act or phase of our corporate effort must reflect a genuine spirit of love and good-will.

By Ella Baker

Raleigh, NC — The Student Leadership Conference made it crystal clear that current sit-ins and other demonstrations are concerned with something much bigger than a hamburger or even a giant-sized Coke.

Whatever may be the difference in approach to their goal, the Negro and white students, North and South, are seeking to rid America of the scourge of racial segregation and discrimination — not only at lunch counters, but in every aspect of life.

In reports, casual conversations, discussion groups, and speeches, the sense and the spirit of the following statement that appeared in the initial newsletter of the students at Barber-Scotia College, Concord, N.C., were re-echoed time and again:

We want the world to know that we no longer accept the inferior position of second-class citizenship. We are willing to go to jail, be ridiculed, spat upon and even suffer physical violence to obtain First Class Citizenship.

By and large, this feeling that they have a destined date with freedom, was not limited to a drive for personal freedom, or even freedom for the Negro in the South. Repeatedly, it was emphasized that the movement was concerned with the moral implications of racial discrimination for the “whole world” and the “Human Race.”

This universality of approach was linked with a perceptive recognition that “it is important to keep the movement democratic and to avoid struggles for personal leadership.”

It was further evident that desire for supportive cooperation from adult leaders and the adult community was also tempered by apprehension that adults might try to “capture” the student movement. The students showed willingness to be met on the basis of equality, but were intolerant of anything that smacked of manipulation or domination.

This inclination toward group-centered leadership, rather than toward a leader-centered group pattern of organization, was refreshing indeed to those of the older group who bear the scars of the battle, the frustrations and the disillusionment that come when the prophetic leader turns out to have heavy feet of clay.

However hopeful might be the signs in the direction of group-centeredness, the fact that many schools and communities, especially in the South, have not provided adequate experience for young Negroes to assume initiative and think and act independently accentuated the need for guarding the student movement against well-meaning, but nevertheless unhealthy, over-protectiveness.

Here is an opportunity for adult and youth to work together and provide genuine leadership — the development of the individual to his highest potential for the benefit of the group.

Many adults and youth characterized the Raleigh meeting as the greatest or most significant conference of our period.

Whether it lives up to this high evaluation or not will, in a large measure, be determined by the extent to which there is more effective training in and understanding of non-violent principles and practices, in group dynamics, and in the re-direction into creative channels of the normal frustrations and hostilities that result from second-class citizenship. Source: The Southern Patriot, May, 1960

Name ______________________________________

1. How do Baker’s comments support the ideas presented in the founding statement of SNCC?

2. Why do you think Baker chose “Bigger Than a Hamburger” as her title?

3. What was the larger goal that Baker identified for African Americans?

4. How does Baker believe African Americans can achieve their goals?

5. What democratic themes are identified as integral to the Civil Rights Movement by Baker?

6. How does Baker perceive the role of the ordinary American in the Civil Rights Movement?

7. To what degree do Baker’s words in both the founding statement and this article compare to the words and actions of Martin Luther King, Jr.?