Educational Resource Pack

Directed by Damian CrudenAsistant Director John R Wilkinson

Designed by Liam DoonaLighting Design by Richard G Jones

Composer Christopher Madin

Dialect Coach Caroline HetheringtonFight Director Liam Evans-Ford

Welcome to the York Theatre Royal resource pack supporting the 2011 production of To Kill a Mockingbird in collaboration with The Touring Consortium. This resource pack is designed to be used by teachers of students who are studying the text or who have seen this production. This pack is divided into three sections. The first section is The American Classic which covers the book itself, information about the author the era and the impact. The second section, The YTR Production, contains information about the production and the people whose job it is to tell the story. The third section provides Support Material for the production, including suggestions for drama activities and practical exercises as well as starting points for discussing, reviewing and reflecting on the production at York Theatre Royal. The YTR education team is committed to inspiring and nurturing interest and enthusiasm in the performance arts sector. We believe the experience of going to and participating in theatre is a highly effective way to learn, to profoundly raise confidence and develop social skills. Our work seeks to stimulate the voices of individuals and community groups we work with whilst aiding them to find and activate their position in society. We work comprehensively through the York area to forge close partnerships with schools and colleges offering activities, workshops and projects to teachers and students alike. Our experienced and dedicated education practitioners work directly with teachers to create active and thought provoking programmes, through a working process that strives to be informative, accessible and fun. If you would like additional information about our Education department, or to receive a copy of our Experience programme of workshops please contact Jessica Fisher, Education Administrator, 01904 550155, education@yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

Introductions

Contents

The American Classic.......................................................................................................................... 1 Synopsis and Characters...................................................................................................................................................2 The Novel and the Play......................................................................................................................................................3 The Symbol: Mockingbird ................................................................................................................................................4 Who is Harper Lee? ..............................................................................................................................................................5 The Context: 1930’s, the setting of the text............................................................................................................6 Racism and Prejudice ..........................................................................................................................................................7 Context: 1960’s, in which the play was written......................................................................................................8

The YTR Production........................................................................................................................... 9 Costume and Set design by Liam Doona...............................................................................................................11 Costumes ................................................................................................................................................................................12 Themes in the Production..............................................................................................................................................13 Rehearsal Blog by John R Wilkinson, Assistant Director .................................................................................15 Interviews with the Cast..................................................................................................................................................16

Reflection.......................................................................................................................................... 19 Reviewing and Reflecting ...............................................................................................................................................20 Practical Reviewing ............................................................................................................................................................21

Workshop Plans............................................................................................................................... 22 Session 1: Exploring the Historical context in which the play was written...........................................23 Session 2: The world of To Kill a Mockingbird.....................................................................................................24 Session 3: From Page to Stage .....................................................................................................................................26 Bibliography and Further Reading. ...........................................................................................................................27

Appendix.......................................................................................................................................... 28 Appendix 1 - Character profile.....................................................................................................................................29 Appendix 2 - Discussing Maycomb ...........................................................................................................................30 Appendix 3 – Script Excerpts ........................................................................................................................................31 Appendix 4 – American civil rights figures ............................................................................................................36

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The American Classic

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Synopsis and Characters

If there’s just one kind of folks, why can’t they get along? (p251)

Scout Finch is a six year old girl growing up in Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930s. She lives with her older brother Jem and father Atticus, a lawyer. Scout and Jem are looked after by their housekeeper, Calpurnia. The children live peacefully in Maycomb and spend their summers playing in the town with their friend Dill Harris. They are curious about their neighbour Arthur Radley (Boo) who lives as a recluse and they occupy the long hot summer days by trying to think of ways to get him to come out of his house. When Atticus is called to defend Tom Robinson, a black man wrongfully charged with the rape of the white woman, Mayella Ewell, the Finches are the subject of taunting and mocking from the town. Atticus, a fair and just man, feels that it is his duty to defend Tom – even if he knows he can’t win. Eventually, having heard all the evidence in the trial the jury find Tom guilty and Scout, Dill and Jem find it very hard to accept the unfairness of their town. Bearing a grudge, because Atticus defended Tom Robinson, Bob Ewell, Mayella’s father, attacks Scout and Jem. Boo Radley is watching and rescues the children, killing Bob Ewell in the process. Scout finally meets Boo and comes to the conclusion that, despite what she thought before, he’s “real nice”.

Characters

Scout a young girl Jean Louise Finch Scouts adult counterpart Jeremy Finch (Jem) her older brother Atticus Finch their father Calpurnia the housekeeper Maudie Atkinson Stephanie Crawford their neighbors Mrs Dubose Arthur Radley (Boo) Charles Baker Harris (Dill) a young boy Heck Tate the sheriff Judge Taylor the judge Reverand Sykes a minister Mayella Ewell a young woman Bob Ewell her father Walter Cunningham a farmer Mr Gilmer the public prosecutor Tom Robinson a young man

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The Novel and the Play

The stage adaptation by Christopher Sergel has a few differences to the book by Harper Lee. Some of the events in the book have been left out and others combined. Some of the characters in the book have been combined in the play and some do not appear at all. Most of the speech is taken from the book and the main characters are all very much as Harper Lee wrote them. Main characters in the novel who do not appear in the play: Aunt Alexandra Uncle Jack Mr and Mrs Radley (Boo’s parents)

Glossary

Mimosa a type of plant Old Sarum an area near Maycomb

County Stumphole whiskey illegal whiskey – usually

hidden in tree stumps Lye soap home-made soap Drothers “I’d rather” Shinnied up drunk Frog sticking catching frogs with a small

pitchfork for frogs legs Chiffarobe a combined chest of

drawers and wardrobe Kindlin’ wood for burning Sass / sassed back chat Cotton gin a machine that separates

the seeds from the cotton fabric

Morphine a strong pain killer

Discussion points: • What differences did you notice between

the novel and the play? • If you were adapting To Kill A Mockingbird

for the stage what events and which characters would you keep in and why?

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The Symbol: Mockingbird

The title and a recurrent symbol in Harper Lee’s novel is the mockingbird which is a type of finch that spends its time singing the songs of other birds. The Mockingbird represents among other things innocence and the fragility of its existences as well as the importance of an individual voice, two predominant themes in the novel and play. Many characters in the novel can be viewed as “mockingbirds”. Characters such as Boo Radley, Scout, Jem, Dill, and Tom

Robinson are innocents but have been wounded by contact with their society’s injustice and intolerance.

One example of this is when the jury return a guilty verdict at Tom Robinson’s trial. Dill, Jem and Scout cannot understand the jury’s decision and for the first time they are faced with the staggering injustice and prejudice within their society changing their perspective on life forever. Boo Radley’s likeness to the mockingbird is picked up by Scout towards the end of the book when she understands the true nature of Boo. Similarly, Tom Robinson is a kind man who is let down by Maycomb, an innocent who is sent to his death because of the prejudice of the society in which he lives. It could be argued that Atticus is a mocking bird representing the one voice who stands out being heard above the others, it is a grave injustice to ignore or silence the only voice of truth.

Discussion points:

• Who do you think are the “Mockingbirds” in the story and why?

• To what extent could it be argued that Mayella is a Mockingbird?

• What other symbols exist in this story and what do they represent?

Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy…they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird. (p100)

Shoot all the blue jays you want… but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird... (p99)

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Who is Harper Lee?

Rather like her fictional character Scout, Harper Lee grew up in Alabama, USA. She was extremely close to her lawyer father and was a tomboy who loved to read. It is often speculated that Lee based Scout on herself as a child, Atticus on her own father and Dill on her childhood friend and now famous writer Truman Capote.

Harper Lee has lived a reclusive life, shying away from the fame that came with her success. She has not published another novel, seemingly finding it difficult to get away from the distractions caused by her fame. She has had various essays and articles published in magazines. Most recently she was persuaded by Oprah Winfrey to contribute an article celebrating books and reading in Oprah’s publication O. The attention and success that Lee gained from her novel was unexpected. According to Lee she had hoped for a “quick and merciful death at the hands of the reviewers”. When the praise and accolades abounded she suggested that this was “just about as frightening as the quick, merciful death that [she’d] expected”.

Discussion points:

• If you were granted an interview with Harper Lee, what questions would you ask her?

• Harper Lee was given a present from her friends of money and a note saying “Take a year, write what ever you want” she promptly gave up her job as an airline clerk to live frugally and create her novel. If you were given that opportunity what would you do with it?

QUICK FACTS • Harper Lee was born in

Monroeville in Alabama in 1926.

• To Kill A Mockingbird was

published in 1960.

• The first draft of To Kill A Mockingbird was called Atticus.

• Harper Lee’s second novel was entitled The Long Goodbye but it was never finished – it was suggested that “her pen froze”.

• Harper Lee has not agreed to an interview for over 40 years.

• When asked by her cousin Richard Williams when she was going to publish another book, she told him “Richard, when you’re at the top, there’s only one way to go”.

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The Context: 1930’s, the setting of the text

Alabama and the Deep South The town that Scout and Jem live in is a fictional town but it is not unlike any town in Alabama in the 1930s. The following section is information about the problems and issues that arose in 1930s America and events in Harper Lee’s life time that may have influenced her writing. Where is Maycomb As explained, Maycomb is a fictional town. However, it is situated in Alabama, U.S.A. and bears resemblance to the town that Harper Lee herself grew up in – Monroeville. Alabama, the 22nd state, is situated in the Deep South of America and is surrounded by Tennessee, Georgia, Mississippi and Florida. Alabama has a very warm and dry climate in the summer with temperatures of 32˚ normal during July and is rather cold in the winter with temperatures regularly hitting as low as 1˚. The Great Depression.

America in the 1930s found itself at the centre of world wide economic recession. The period became known as the Great Depression and saw the worst rates of unemployment and lowest business activity known to modern times. Banks,

shops, and factories were closed and left millions jobless, homeless and facing astonishing poverty. The Working Classes of Rural Southern America were perhaps hit hardest of all and it is against this often desperate back drop that Harper Lee chose to set her novel. Within both play and story there are numerous references to the depression and the presidents of that time. At the beginning of the play and In Chapter 1 of the book Jean Louise’s speech almost paraphrases President Roosevelt’s inauguration speech.

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Racism and Prejudice

Economic hardship touched most in the South, but a deeper iniquity existed in the tense race relations at this time, a residual prejudice left from the slave trade.

SLAVERY The history of slavery in the USA began in the early 16th Century when the settlers brought over thousands of African people to work as slaves in order to build their economy and develop this new colony. Although by the time of the Census in 1860 there were nearly 4 million slaves in the US, many of the northern states in America were opposed to slavery and abolished the practice in their states. However, many of the southern states, including Alabama, continued to be “slave states” because of the free labour that slavery provided. This issue was one of the central reasons for the American Civil War when the southern states broke away from the “Union” of America who wished to abolish slavery and created their own “Confederacy”. The Union won the War and in 1865 slavery was abolished across the US.

THE SCOTTSBORO TRIALS The Scottsboro story is one that is very similar to that of Tom Robinson. In 1931 nine African-American men, aged between 12 and 19 were involved in a scuffle with a group of white youths on a train travelling on the Southern Railroad. The station authorities were alerted and the black teenagers were arrested. Among the group of white youths were two girls and they accused these men of raping them. The evidence against the black teenagers was almost non-existent but still a jury, after many trials, reversals and retrials found them guilty and sentenced them to death. Eventually, years later all of the Scottsboro boys were paroled, pardoned or acquitted.

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Context: 1960’s, in which the play was written

Although To Kill a Mockingbird was set in the 1930’s it was written and first published in the 1960’s just as the civil rights movement was gathering force, thus the book became synonymous with the cause. The YTR production wished to recognized this period as Jean Louise (the grown-up scout) looks back from the 60’s to her time as a child.

THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT: MARTIN LUTHER KING Although slavery was officially abolished in the USA in 1865, the black population of America were still treated as second class citizens. Even at the start of the 20th Century black people were forced to give up their seats on buses so that white people could sit down. In Montgomery, Alabama in 1955 Rosa Parks rebelled against this law by refusing to give up her seat on the bus to a white man. This action was the catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement which was led by Martin Luther King. Inspired by King’s Christian faith, the campaign used non-violent forms of protest to make their point against the white-monopolised authorities who tried to enforce racial segregation. It was a long and often ugly struggle, involving much violence being directed by the authorities at the campaigners and the revival of the Ku Klux Klan, but finally in 1964 the Civil Rights Act was passed and racial segregation was banned.

The Impact To Kill a Mockingbird Made a remarkable impact on a divided nation winning the Pulitzer Prize for literature a year after its release. The story went on to become a multi Oscar winning film and the book was more recently ranked by British Libraries ahead of the bible as “one every adult should read before they die." It is taught in English speaking classrooms all over the world and is undoubtedly a modern American classic.

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The YTR Production

What is To Kill a Mockingbird about for you? This story is about a 1930’s community in Alabama that is representative of many American communities of that time. We meet this community at the end of a cycle in which black people have been dehumanized by their white neighbours. Fear sits at the heart of this story; fear of the other, of any thing that appears different, it is also about a community who are fearful of facing up to who they really are. What aspects of this story appealed to you as a theatre director? It is an interesting play to me because it is very much about human nature and the human condition making it very relevant for theatre today. Society has progressed since the 1930’s and the time in which we set our play however today we still remain vulnerable to specific fears. We still

have a tendency to close ourselves to newcomers or people who appear different to us and we are still frightened of that which threatens our social cohesion. I am interested in history, in how we learn from the mistakes made in the past to progress into the future. I am particularly interested in theatrically exploring the wealth of historic artifacts we are so lucky to have in our country and seeing what future mistakes we may be able to avoid. As I said previously the play is about a community’s fear of change, and in order to change we must first examine ourselves closely. We find that really difficult…I don’t think that is ever going to change. You have made some interesting decisions about memory and time, what are they and why did you decide to do them? Although our play has a clear sense of the 1930’s period we did not want to forget that the story looks back from the 1960’s. We also chose to stage it with a sense of modernity to make it accessible for today’s audience. We play with time in this piece, this is crucial; it needs to have pace, it needs to be clear and it shouldn’t get bogged down in notions of absolute naturalism. As a memory, it

In the elegant ballroom of the newly refurbished De Grey rooms Damian Cruden, Artistic Director of York Theatre Royal, speaks about his latest production and the importance of learning from our history.

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can be a free flowing piece, easily moving from one location to another. All these creative decisions have a simple overall aim, to aid the audience’s engagement in the narrative. In other words it is an important story, too important to risk boring people with it. How do you think the audience will respond? How the audience responds to the piece will depend on who they are, I would like the audience to be able to react to the piece from their own perspective. I’d like them to feel that they have seen an honest well-told story. I think honesty is really important in this. I hope to engage people in thinking about who they are and who other people are, as it says in the play I want them to stand in someone else’s shoes. The play asks the audience to consider an alternative perspective. From what you have discussed it appears that the objective is quite simple; to communicate an authentic and imaginative story. I agree, it is not a complicated plot particularly. What is complex, however, is the way the characters relate inside that plot, the way people feel and their relationships are very complicated indeed. If we can start to decipher their relationships we can begin to understand them.

What has been the most useful piece of advice you have been given as a director? Very early on in my career I was told, Its always your fault! I have taken that to mean the director is ultimately responsible and accountable for every decision made and all those decisions will have ramifications. That doesn’t mean responsibility is removed from others just that you are more capable of dealing with something if you fully accept your involvement in it.

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Costume and Set design by Liam Doona

Liam Doona was keen to evoke the sense of 1930’s era through the set and costumes design for To Kill a Mockingbird. The white wooden material which makes up the sets structure is reminiscent clapboard, a common domestic building method used at that time in the southern states of America. The slates of wood evoke a sense of restricted view and of peeking into another’s space, as the often nosey neighbours may have done in the small towns. It gives the audience the impression that they may not always be seeing the whole picture.

The overall white colour of the walls lends itself well to the plays theme of memory and reflection. The set can be smoothly changed as walls fly in and out, reinstating the fluidity of narrative that memory allows and as Damian mentions in his interview avoids the piece getting “bogged down in notions of absolute naturalism”

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Costumes

The costumes also add to the sense of era, there muted and slightly faded colour scheme evokes the sense of a faded memory.

Atticus Tom Robinson

Jem

Bob Ewell

Scout

Judge Taylor

Mrs Dubose

Dill

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Reflection and discussion are important part of the theatre Experience; see the Support Material section for ideas on practical reflection.

The term “mob mentality” is used to refer to behavioural characteristics which emerge when people are in large groups. It is often used despairingly, as the term typically conjures up images of a riled, aggressive and panicked group of people.

Assistant director John Wilkinson discusses codes of conduct further: “What I find particularly interesting is the two sets of laws that exist, the official state law and the cultural laws the community actually lives by and actively enforces. When editing the script I constantly found lines in which you can tell the character is not actually saying what they know to be true, making the children’s directness all the more refreshing and innocent.” (Wilkinson, J 2011)

Themes in the Production

Reflection

Director Damian Cruden was keen to bring out the fluidity of narrative that memory allows. As he describes in his interview on pages 10 and 11 he felt it was important that the production moves with pace and clarity, it will not be “bogged down with notions of absolute naturalism”. The story is told from the point of view of Jean Louise who looks back from the 60’s on the life she had a child, she revisits an experience which began a cycle of profound change in her community. The play poses questions about our own reflections, how can we look to experiences from history to understand ourselves and others today, how can we learn from the past in order to move into the future?

Mob Mentality vs Individual Truth

In the play it is the majority rule that oppresses individuals and minority figures. The aggressive ‘mob mentality’ seeps into the courtroom as the prejudice jury rule with staggering injustice. Tom Robinson is shown by Atticus to be innocent at his trial, however, he is still found guilty by the racist jury. There is deep hatred between the majority white community and the black minority community which casts blind prejudice in the court room. Even though the jury probably know that Tom is not guilty, they cannot see it. This hatred is seen earlier when the ‘mob’ go to the jail. Although they are respectable townsfolk and they know the Finches well, the fear and hatred that they feel for Tom is so great that they are willing even to hurt Atticus, Jem and Scout to get to him. When scout identifies one member of the group as the father of a schoolmate she poses truthful and personal questions that force him to remember himself, think twice and back the pack away from their violent agenda.

…there’s been some high talk around town to the effect that I shouldn’t do much about defending this man. (p83)

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Childhood – Innocence and Growing Up

The story is told through the inquisitive eyes of 6 year old Scout Finch who, with an uncommon directness which exposes the staggering prejudice that exists around her. Her curiosity acts as an effective dramatic devise as through her insatiable questioning we begin to learn more about individual characters and their approach to life. In this way we too experience Atticus through the eyes of his loving daughter. All three children change through the course of the play moving from a sheltered place of relative naivety and into the adult world exposing the complexities and, sometimes, unfairness that come with it. Potentially a disheartening aspect of the play the story is overall hopeful that this new generation can attempt to challenge the prejudices of the society in which they grew up.

Courage

Courage is a very important notion in To Kill A Mockingbird and it runs on all levels in all events in the story. There is the courage that the children show when they venture into the grounds of the Radley House, the courage of Atticus in shooting the rabid dog and the courage that Mrs Dubose shows in defeating her morphine addiction. Most of all, Atticus shows great courage in standing up to the town and his friends when he defends Tom Robinson. He knows from the beginning he will fail but he carries the courage of his convictions and fights on to the best of his ability. Bob Ewell, on the other hand epitomizes cowardice when he attacks the children in the dark.

They’ve done it before and they did it tonight and they’ll do it again and when they do it – seems that only the children weep. (p235)

You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…Until you climb in his skin and walk around in it. (p33)

I wanted you to see what real courage is… It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. (p124)

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Week 1 - So let’s get to the rehearsal room proper, where Dialect Coach Caroline Hetherington got things going with a voice session. Though we find ourselves in a relatively confined area of the American Deep South, there are lots of subtle variances in accent. The accent of the ‘Poor White’ differs from the accent of the ‘southern gentlemen’. The speech of Negroes is different to the speech of whites. There are many subtle differences, just as there are many commonalities. It seems diversity and harmony even influences language and syntax. It goes even deeper, into words of love and hate, right and wrong, truth and untruth.

Rehearsal Blog by John R Wilkinson, Assistant Director

Week 2 - Having gone through the play in its entirety, this week has seen a busy and fertile rehearsal room. There has been a great deal of analytical housework. Ironing out key scenes; cleaning up sections of blocking so as to open up the stage picture; and working to push the narrative so that the story reaches you effectively, with both power and heart.

Week 2 - I would just like to say a big thank you to the Friends of York Theatre Royal. On Wednesday they paid us a visit, and played the part of our jury superbly. Your participation and enthusiasm was greatly appreciated.

Week 3 - Working on the courtroom scene - so what goes wrong in the judicial process? Who is connecting with whom? Who has got their story straight? Damian Cruden urges Robin Simpson, Mark White, Clare Corbett and Andy Hockley (Gilmer, Bob Ewell, Mayella and Heck Tate) to take a moment to work out what actually happened. We only hear what they attest to be the truth, but what’s behind the façade? What happened between Mayella and Bob Ewell once Tom Robinson had fled the scene? What did Bob Ewell say to Heck Tate when he ran to fetch him? What did Heck Tate find when he got to the Ewell’s house? There needs a knowledge of the ‘truth’, in order for their fabrications to be seen as such. In order for their version of events to be implausible, in order for Atticus to pick them apart.

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Interviews with the Cast

Can you tell us about your role? How long have I got? I’ve got to be honest and say Atticus is one of the best parts I’ve ever read in my life. It’s a part which will hopefully influence people in the way they behave, even if it is only for a short time He is a great role model, a single parent, in my opinion he is a good single parent as good as you can get. He seems to clash occasionally with his son so I believe he has more empathy with his daughter, they are very similar. He is a great lawyer who is determined to do right by Tom Robinson. I face the challenge of getting this wonderful character right. You have played Atticus before, has your approach to the role changed? It’s a very different production with very different people so I can’t easily compare the experiences, it’s important to try to keep an open mind as an actor anyway. I also try not to recreate anything, but then again if you strongly believe something was good previously, then it may–well be worth fighting for. What was your experience of the text before playing Atticus? To be honest I have never seen the film and I don’t know if I want to see the film. I read the book many times and I think it should be compulsory reading for everybody. I believe the story is extremely relevant today. I think kids can learn a lot from it as it is about acceptance, about taking people as they are. If we can tell the story well I think we can engage people in this theme. I hope that people leave the theatre feeling a sense of hopefulness but also maybe they will have learnt something about racism or learnt something about themselves. Overall I hope people just leave thinking.

Atticus : You see, you never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view. Jem: Sir? Atticus: until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.

Duncan Preston as Atticus Finch

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Can you describe your character? I think she’s great, she is bright, she is so clever and as she is 6 years old her naivety brings a lot of comical moments to the book and the play. Scout‘s father is a lawyer who is defending a Black man in court, through the play she has to deal with children her own age verbally abusing her and her family. She is feisty and full of life and I like her a lot. How did you prepare for your role? I read the book and luckily as the whole book is through the eyes of my character I got quiet a good detailed insight in to what she feels about the other characters and how she felt about all the things that have happened to her. I researched the temperature of the county which will alter her physically and watched lots of southern American films to get the accent. I had to work on the accent quite a lot and importantly, I had to get back into the mindset of a child. Do you think this story is relevant for young people today? Definitely, you can learn so much from the story. Obviously I would like to think the extent of the racism back then is not how it currently stands but the main point made by Atticus is that you can’t judge a man until you get into his skin and walk around in it. We must try to understand other people and accept them, that notion will always be relevant. What was the best piece of advice you have been given as an emerging actor? Bear with it, believe in what you are doing and keep going!

Can you describe your character? She runs the Finch household and is a firm disciplinarian. Calpurnia is never too far away from the action on stage, she is in and out of the scene all the time. Damian encourages me to always know the reasons behind my words and actions, there is always layers of intention and I have to know precisely what they are. This is a very rich way of working, it is a challenge which I enjoy. In what way is this piece relevant for young people today? This sort of thing is always relevant, it is so important to be made aware of how people are and how people were, in order to consider how you treat people yourself, we really are all equal. It does young people no harm to see what went on and realise how far we have come.

Grace Rowe as Scout Finch

Jacqueline Boatswain as Calpurnia

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What can you tell us about your character? We learn quite a lot about her from the book; she is 19 and a half, the eldest of 7 children and the daughter of Bob Ewell. She is quite a down trodden

character probably abused both mentally and physically by her father and I think she struggles with a want to receive attention from Tom, a black man. She is definitely a victim and I think her and Tom share a connection in that. However in the play the only opportunity to learn about her is in the court scene and a small part in the first act. How do you go about communicating your character to the audience in that short time? There is a lot to get across, a lot of this relies on her physical relationship with her father on stage; the looks between them and the way he controls her. Through Atticus’s questioning in the court scene a lot is revealed about her life and how she was brought up. What was your experience of To Kill a Mockingbird before this production? I saw a production of it when I was at school and actually the only bit I remember is the girl who played Mayella. The court scene and her testimony really stuck with me. I remember feeling sorry for her. Undoubtedly it is awful what Mayella is doing but you can see she has been put under huge pressure and you can have an understanding of why she feels she has to do it. What was the best piece of advice you have been given as an actor? Just Listen. There is a tendency as an actor to want to recreate something that may have felt right the day before, however every time is going to be different. If you just listen to the question and respond to what has been asked in that moment you are not lying. Go back to where you were, just listen and something will happen.

How do you feel about your character Tom Robinson, do you like him? I haven’t really allowed myself to decide just yet, I have to tune in with the director’s vision for him first. I think he is a good man though, he works hard as a manual laborer and he is trusting, a characteristic which undoubtedly got him into this mess. He has a good heart and so yes, if I had to give an answer, I do like him very much. What was your experience of the text before this production? I was born in London but I was brought up in West Africa where the story is not a recommended school text so I had never read the book. Many people had told me to read it so eventually I bought a copy. It is strange because I kept it beside my bed for ages and forgot about it until one day I remember seeing it and suddenly thinking I need to read that soon. That was the day I got a call about the audition! I only had time to read the book or the script and I choose the book, I’m glad I did because I thought it was wonderful, so rich and vivid, I couldn’t put it down. I love the journey Harper Lee took me on and I love how beautifully she builds up the drama. It is an important story that will never get old.

Clare Corbett as Mayella

Ewell

Cornelius McCarthy as Tom Robinson

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Reflection

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Reviewing and Reflecting

Reviewing and reflecting are important aspects of a theatre production. Through reflection we can make more sense of what we have experienced and develop our understanding of the story, characters and the theatrical techniques used. It also allows us to form opinions Reflection can be carried out in many ways, through group discussion, group activities or through more formal written reviews. Here are a few starting points.

The Actors and their Performance

• What sort of skills did the actors need to employ to portray their characters? • How did the actors play the younger characters? • Do you think they were successful? • Is this how you saw the characters in your imagination when reading the book?

The Lighting

• What mood/atmosphere was created by the lighting? • Were colours used? • Do you think this lighting was appropriate to the play/story?

The Sound

• Were sound effects used? • How was music used in the

production? • Were sound effects and music pre-

recorded or produced live on stage?

• How did this add to the impact of the production?

Costume

• Were the costumes of a historical period? • Did they help us to understand each character? • What did the colours and materials used say about the characters and the era?

The Set

• Was the set realistic? • What colours were used? • What mood/atmosphere does it create? • Why did the designer choose projection? • How did the use of projection add to the play?

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Mapping Maycomb An effective way of encouraging students to immerse themselves in the fictional world of the play is to request detailed maps. They could create these individually in small scale floor plans of the courtroom; or alternatively they could work together to create a large classroom sized floor plan of the town’s high street.

Practical Reviewing

Group discussion may be a useful way of engaging the group with the notion of reflection and review. Here are some practical exercises that may aid the discussion process.

Anyone Who

The group sits in a circle with one less chair or space than there are group members. The person with no chair stands in the middle of the circle and makes a statement about what they thought about the show beginning with “Anyone Who…”. All the group members who agree with this statement stand up and swap places. The speaker must try to move into a seat. One person will be left with no chair and they then make the next statement. Example: The person in the middle says “Anyone who liked

the costumes”, all those who also liked the costumes would stand up and swap places.

Opinion Scale

Create an imaginary scale the length of the classroom in which one side is definitely agree and the other definitely disagree, Ask the group to position themselves on the scale in relation to different aspects of the production. Example: The production was thought provoking. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this

statement? The teacher can then ask the class how they arrived at this decision and use their answers as a starting point for discussion.

Still Images

Split the class into small groups and ask them to create a freeze frame of part of the production that they thought was particularly effective – it doesn’t have to be a direct copy it can be a representation of the part that they liked.

Actor Profiles Ask the students to explore the characters further by creating detailed descriptions.

Considering how the characters were brought to life by the actors in the production and using their own knowledge of the story ask them to choose a character and fill in the character profile sheets provided in the appendix. These profiles may include questions, drawings of the characters and of Maycomb and ideas on how the character could be presented on the stage (e.g. mannerisms, gestures, voice etc).

N.B. There is information on some of these characters in the YTR production section of this resource pack.

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Workshop Plans

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Session 1: Exploring the Historical context in which the play was written

Still images

Ask the group to move around the whole space attempting not to walk in a circle. Instruct the class that you will call out a number and they are to quickly get into a group of that size and wait for further instructions. Once they have done this call out an image that they have a short amount of time to create a frozen representation of with their bodies.

Create an image of: A rickety old house

Friendship Freedom Justice

American Civil Rights Figures

Split the class into groups and give each group an envelope containing information on different civil rights activists (see appendix) after examining this material ask the groups to create 4 still images depicting…

- The inequality the figure was fighting against. - What they did about it. - What equality would mean to them - What inequalities exist in our own communities?

Once they have created the images ask them to string them together to create a performance, this can be shown back to the class and perhaps accompanied by music of their choice. As with many of these exercises it is not the quality of the still images created that is important, rather the discussion and applied thought that goes into their construction.

The following pages contain three lesson plans which are drama based, practical workshops, intended to be a fun and interactive approach to gaining a greater understanding of the play. The key themes are cross curricular, relatable to issues within Citizenship, English, History and Drama.

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Session 2: The world of To Kill a Mockingbird

This session introduces the world of the play, whilst stimulating discussion about the production and its themes through relevant questioning.

Automatic Writing

This exercise can be used as a starting point for exploration of any theme. The participants can write in any way, sentence structure or spelling is not important as they freely respond to the practitioner’s questions. Instruct the class that they have 2 minutes to write about:

- An important event from your childhood.

Ask for an immediate one word response to the following questions.

- What could you see? - What could you hear? - What could you smell? - What could you taste? - What did you feel?

Ask the class to read through their answers and circle an interesting or surprising response. The participants could then say their line in turn. As a group, discuss the nature of these memories; was their any commonality between the types of things that were remembered? Was it easier to remember the smell of that time rather than what was said? The YTR Production of To Kill a Mockingbird is an adults reflection of a very important event in their childhood. As a memory, what creative license will the show have that absolute naturalism wouldn’t allow? What can we anticipate about the style in which the piece is communicated?

Walk as if…

This exercise is about exploring Scout and Jem’s world and developing the imagination. It can be done in a classroom with the desks pushed back or in a larger non-classroom space. Ask the students to start walking about the space. Now ask them to walk imagining that they were in the following situations; Walk as if… It’s raining/windy It’s very very hot/cold You are going somewhere you really don’t want to go You can’t wait to get to your destination. It’s very crowded. You are old/young You are a gossip You are walking into a room where you know everyone You are walking into a room where you know no-one

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Walk as if… You are happy You are nervous

You are bored You are excited You are lonely You are angry Ask the group what tactics were used in carrying out this exercise. How did they hold their bodies? What about facial expressions? What were their styles of movement?

Setting the scene

Discussing Maycomb Split the class into small groups. Ask them to read through the extract of text and pictures in appendix 2. Ask them to discuss the questions on the sheet about life in Maycomb. Creating Maycomb Next ask the class to move around the room as they have previously done and as they do so re-read the extract. Ask the class to imagine that they are now walking around that hot, dusty town square. What kind of things might they be doing? How would their physicality change/ how might they interact with their neighbours? Creating the residents of Maycomb Freeze the action so that everybody is now standing in a statue of their character. This will create a “tableau” – a freeze frame image. Next go round the group, tapping them one by one on the shoulder and asking them for a line that their character might be saying or thinking.

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Session 3: From Page to Stage

Included in the appendix to the pack are three scenes taken from the adapted To Kill A Mockingbird. Split the class into groups and hand out a scene to each group. Ask them to work on the scenes, with one or two of them being directors and the others actors. Allow the class time to develop these scenes and polish them ready for performance to the class Ask them to consider:

• What is the writer trying to say in this scene? • Where is the scene set? • How should the actors portray their characters and show their emotions, gestures, body language,

speech? Many actors consider three things when preparing for a role; ask the class to do the same.

1. What people say about the character during the course of the play? 2. What you say about them. 3. What the character’s action is and what they want at any given moment in the play.

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Bibliography and Further Reading

Gumbel, Andrew, The Reclusive Author in The Independent (London) May 25, 2005 Lee, Harper, To Kill A Mockingbird [1960], (Arrow Books; 1997) Lesy, Michael, Long Time Coming: A Photographic Portrait of America 1935 – 1943, (W.W. Norton & Co. Inc; 2002) Sergel, Christopher, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, (The Dramatic Publishing Company; 1970) www.bbc.co.uk http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/books/features/article624561.ece www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/scottsboro/scottsb.htm www.sparknotes.com Photographs of production: YTR Marketing

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thank you to: Damian Cruden, John R Wilkinson, Duncan Preston, Grace Rowe, Jacqueline Boatswain, Cornelius McCarthy, Clare Corbett, Liam Doona, Amos Jacob, Luke Tetlo, Jessica Farmer and the West Yorkshire Playhouse. This document was adapted by the York Theatre Royal Education Department from the resource Pack created by the West Yorkshire Playhouse and Touring Consortium to accompany their 2006 production of To Kill a Mockingbird. Thanks to Jessica and the education team for their support.

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Appendix

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Appendix 1 - Character profile

CHARACTER PROFILE What is the characters function in this story? _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ What adjectives would you use to describe them? What does this character do during the story? How did the actor portray the character? (E.g. voice and gestures) Do you think that other factors such as props and costumes suited the character and why?

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Appendix 2 - Discussing Maycomb

Session 2

Discussing Maycomb Read through the piece of text below and look at the picture. From these and your own knowledge of the story, discuss the following in your groups:

• What do you think life was like for the people of Maycomb? • What sort of jobs did they do? • What would the town square have looked like? • What do you think living there for Scout and Jem would have been like?

Maycomb was an old town, but it was a tired old town when I first knew it. In rainy weather the streets turned to red slop . . . [s]omehow it was hotter then . . . bony mules hitched to Hoover carts flicked flies in the sweltering shade of the live oaks on the square. Men’s stiff collars wilted by nine in the morning. Ladies bathed before noon, after their three-o’clock naps, and by nightfall were like soft teacakes with frostings of sweat and sweet talcum. . . . There was no hurry, for there was nowhere to go, nothing to buy and no money to buy it with, nothing to see outside the boundaries of Maycomb County. But it was a time of vague optimism for some of the people: Maycomb County had recently been told that it had nothing to fear but fear itself. (P6)

“Saturday afternoon in Franklin, Heard County, Georgia” Jack Delano, April-may 1941 in Long Time Coming, Michael Lesy (2002) W.W. Norton & Co. Inc. “Coal miners, Birmingham, Alabama”

Arthur Rothstein, February 1937 in Long Time Coming, Michael Lesy (2002) W.W. Norton & Co. Inc

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Appendix 3 – Script Excerpts

Session 3 from page to stage.

SCRIPT EXCERPT From: To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, adapted by Christopher Sergel and published by The Dramatic Publishing Company P 24 – 26 SCOUT AND ATTICUS SCOUT: Atticus – (Atticus turns to focus on SCOUT.) Tell me – what’s rape?

(ATTICUS considers SCOUT for a moment. Then he sits on the swing. Takes a breath.)

ATTICUS: Rape is carnal knowledge of a female by force. SCOUT: If that’s all it is, why did Calpurnia dry up when I asked her? (Takes

a breath.) Atticus, do you defend niggers? ATTICUS: (Startled). Of course I do. Don’t say ‘nigger’, Scout. That’s common. SCOUT: ‘S what everybody at school says. ATTICUS: From now on it’ll be everybody less one. SCOUT: Do all lawyers defend n- Negroes? ATTICUS: They do. SCOUT: Then why do the kids at school make it sound live you’re doin’

somethin’ awful? ATTICUS: You aren’t old enough to understand some things yet, Scout, but

there’s been a lot of high talk around the town that I shouldn’t do much about defending Tom Robinson. (Firmly.) But I’m going to defend that man.

SCOUT: If they say you shouldn’t, why are you doing it? ATTICUS: (Considering this.) The main reason: If I didn’t defend him, I

couldn’t really have much respect for myself could I? (ATTICUS looks at SCOUT and smiles.) I couldn’t even tell you or Jem not to do something again.

SCOUT: You mean Jem and me wouldn’t have to mind you anymore? ATTICUS: That’s about right. SCOUT: Why?

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ATTICUS: Because I could never ask you to mind me again. (Frankly.) To tell you the truth, I’d hoped to get through life without a case of this kind, but Judge Taylor pointed at me and said, ‘You’re it.’

SCOUT: Are we going to win it? ATTICUS: No honey. Come here, Scout. SCOUT: Then, why – (she gets into his lap.) ATTICUS: Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started

is no reason for us not to try to win. SCOUT: You sound like some old Confederate veteran. ATTICUS: Only we aren’t fighting Yankees. We’ll be fighting our friends. But

remember this, no matter how bitter things get, they’re still our friends and this is still our home.

… SCOUT: (Confused). Is there something you want me to do, Atticus? ATTICUS: (Nodding). Just hold your head high, and keep those fists down. And I hope you can get

through what’s coming without catching Maycomb’s usual disease. Why reasonable people go stark raving mad when anything involving a Negro comes up is something I can’t pretend to understand.

SCOUT: The Tom Robinson case must be pretty important. ATTICUS: (Speaking quietly). It’s about right and wrong. SCOUT: (Concerned for him). Suppose you’re wrong about it? ATTICUS: How’s that? SCOUT: Most people think that they’re right and you’re wrong. ATTICUS: They’re entitled to think that, and they’re entitled to full respect for their opinions. …

ATTICUS: (Getting up from the swing). But one thing does not abide by majority rule honey – (as he goes in.) – it’s your conscience.

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SCRIPT EXCERPT From: To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, adapted by Christopher Sergel and published by The Dramatic Publishing Company P18 – 19 JEM, DILL, SCOUT, ATTICUS

SCOUT: …(Ominously.) Boo’s in there – all by himself – an’ he hasn’t come out in twenty, thirty years.

DILL: Thirty years!

JEM: When old Mr Radley dies, some folks thought Boo’d have to come out, but Nathan moved in and took his father’s place.

DILL: Wonder what he does. Looks like he’s stick his head out the door sometime.

JEM: I think he will come out when it’s pitch dark. Azeleas wilt ‘cause he breathes on them. Nobody touches a pecan that falls off the Radley pecan tree…it’ll kill you. I’ve seen his tracks in our backyard many a morning, and one night I heard him scratching on the back screen.

DILL: Wonder what he looks like?

JEM: (Professionally). Judging from his tracks, he’s about six-and-a-half feet tall, he eats raw squirrels and any cats he can catch. What teeth he has are yellow and rotten. His eyes pop out and he drools.

DILL: (with decision). Let’s make him come out.

SCOUT: (Shocked). Make Boo Radley come out?

JEM: If you want to get yourself killed, all you have to do is go up and knock on that door.

DILL: (Challenging). You’re scared – too scared to put your big toe in the front yard.

JEM: Ain’t scared, just respectful.

DILL: I dare you.

JEM: (Trapped). You dare me? (Jem turns to look at the house apprehensively.)

SCOUT: Don’t go near it, Jem. If you get killed – what with Atticus so old – what would become of me? (Jem does not respond.)

DILL: (Impatiently.) Well? JEM: Don’t hurry me. (JEM starts slowly toward the house.) DILL: Scout and me’s right behind you. (As JEM continues towardthe Radley house, SCOUT and DILL

follow, SCOUT pausing beside the tree. JEM hesitates. SCOUT notices something in a knothole in the tree and takes it. In a hushed voice.) Look at the curtains! (The curtains have been pulled slightly to the side, and now they fall back into place.)

JEM: (Horrified). He was watching! He saw me!

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SCOUT: (Absently putting a piece of chewing gum in her mouth). Don’t ever do that. JEM: (Considering her). Where’d you get the chewing gum? SCOUT: (As SHE chews, SHE nods toward the tree). It was sticking in the knothole. JEM: (Shocked). That tree? Spit it out! Right now! SCOUT: (Obeying but indignant). I was just getting the flavour. JEM: (Grimly). Suppose Boo Radley put it there? Suppose it’s poison? You go gargle!

SCOUT: (Shaking her head). It’s take the taste outa my mouth.

DILL: (Still concentrating on the Radley house). Let’s throw a pebble against the door – and as soon as he sticks his head out, we say we want to buy him an ice cream. (Logically.) That’ll seem friendly. Maybe he’ll feel better.

SCOUT: How do you know he don’t feel good now?

DILL: (Concerned). How’d you feel if you’d been shut up for a hundred years with nothing to cats to eat? (Searching about.) ‘Course if you’d rather I throw the pebble…

JEM: (Disgusted). Better leave it to me. (JEM picks up a pebble).

SCOUT: (Worried). You’re not going to throw a stone at the Radley house!

JEM: (To DILL, as HE winds up to throw) I guess I just have to show you – (HE is stopped by an authoritative voice from off).

ATTICUS: (Off). Jem! (JEM stops and they ALL turn toward the direction of the VOICE off).

SCOUT: Atticus!

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SCRIPT EXCERPT From: To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, adapted by Christopher Sergel and published by The Dramatic Publishing Company P20 – 21 JEM, DILL, SCOUT, ATTICUS

ATTICUS: (Trying to take in the situation, curiously). Just what were you about to do, Jem?

JEM: Nothin’, sir.

ATTICUS: (Unwilling to be put off). I don’t want any of that. Tell me.

JEM: We were – (Assuming responsibility.) – I was going to throw a pebble – to get Boo Radley to come out.

ATTICUS: Why?

DILL: Because – sir. (As ATTICUS turns to him, DILL clears his throat. Explaining quickly.) My name’s Charles Baker Harris – people call me Dill. I’m here visiting my aunt Rachel. (Lamely.) We thought Mr Radley might enjoy us…

ATTICUS: (Gravely). I see. (Turning back to JEM with decision.) Son, I’m going to tell you something and tell you one time. Don’t bother with that man.

SCOUT: But why doesn’t he ever –

ATTICUS: (Cutting in). What Mr Radley does is his own business. If he wants to stay inside his own house then he has the right to stay inside – free from the attention of inquisitive children. How would you like it if I barged into your rooms at night without knocking?

JEM: That’s different.

ATTICUS: Is it?

JEM: Because we’re not crazy.

ATTICUS: What Mr Radley does might seem peculiar to us but it does not seem peculiar to him.

JEM: (Protesting). Anyone who stays inside all the time and never –

ATTICUS: (Cutting in) But that’s his decision. (Considering them.) There’s something I’d like to ask If you all do it, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds. You see, you never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view.

JEM: Sir?

ATTICUS: Until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.

JEM: (Incredulous). You want us to consider things from Boo Radley’s point of view?

DILL: (Impatiently). He means – everyone.

SCOUT: You stay outa this.

ATTICUS: (Smiling). Mr Harris is right. But I expect I’m asking too much.

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Appendix 4 – American civil rights figures Martin Luther King, Jr.( January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968

Martin Luther King was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African American civil rights movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. King is often presented as a heroic leader in the history of modern American liberalism. A Baptist minister, King became a civil rights activist early in his career. He led the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott and helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957, serving as its first president. King's efforts led to the 1963 March on Washington, where King delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech. There, he expanded American values to include the vision of a color blind society, and established his reputation as one of the greatest orators in American history. In 1964, King became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his work to end racial segregation and racial discrimination through civil disobedience and other nonviolent means. By the time of his death in 1968, he had refocused his efforts on ending poverty and stopping the Vietnam War. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977 and Congressional Gold Medal in 2004; Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was established as a U.S. federal holiday in 1986.

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Martin Luther King quotes

"I am mindful that only yesterday in Birmingham, Alabama, our children, crying out for brotherhood, were answered with fire hoses, snarling dogs, and even death. I am mindful that only yesterday in Philadelphia, Mississippi, young people seeking to secure the right to vote were brutalized and murdered." — 1964, on receiving the Nobel Peace Prize "We must have our freedom now. We must have the right to vote. We must have equal protection of the law." — 1965, after march on Alabama state capital "I could never adjust to the separate waiting rooms, separate eating places, separate rest rooms, partly because the separate was always unequal, and partly because the very idea of separation did something to my sense of dignity and self-respect." — 1958 "Segregation...not only harms one physically but injures one spiritually...It scars the soul...It is a system which forever stares the segregated in the face, saying 'You are less than...' 'You are not equal to...'" "We believe in law and order. We are not advocating violence. We want to love our enemies. If I am stopped, our work will not stop, for what we are doing is right." — 1956, in Montgomery, Alabama "Three simple words can describe the nature of the social revolution that is talking place and what Negroes really want. They are the words "all," "now," and "here." "Green power — that's the kind of power we need." "You can't win against a political structure where you don't have the votes. But you can win against an economic power structure when you have the...power to make the difference between a merchant's profit and loss." — 1962, after demonstrations in Albany, Georgia "Equality means dignity. And dignity demands a job and a paycheck that lasts

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Malcolm X, May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965

X was an African-American Muslim minister, public speaker, and human rights activist. To his admirers, he was a courageous advocate for the rights of African Americans, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its crimes against black Americans. His detractors accused him of preaching racism, black supremacy, anti-Semitism, and violence. He has been called one of the greatest and most influential African Americans in history, and in 1998, Time named The Autobiography of Malcolm X one of the ten most influential nonfiction books of the 20th century. Malcolm X was born in Omaha, Nebraska. The events of his childhood, including his father's lessons concerning black pride and self-reliance, and his own experiences concerning race played a significant role in Malcolm X's adult life. By the time he was thirteen, his father had died and his mother had been committed to a mental hospital. After living in a series of foster homes, Malcolm X became involved in a number of criminal activities in Boston and New York. In 1946, Malcolm X was sentenced to eight to ten years in prison. While in prison, Malcolm X became a member of the Nation of Islam, and after his parole in 1952 he became one of the Nation's leaders and chief spokesmen. For nearly a dozen years he was the public face of the controversial group. Tension between Malcolm X and Elijah Muhammad, head of the Nation of Islam, led to Malcolm X's quitting the organization in March 1964. He then became a Sunni Muslim and made a pilgrimage to Mecca, after which he disavowed racism. He subsequently travelled extensively throughout Africa and the Middle East and founded Muslim Mosque, Inc., a religious organization, and the secular Pan-Africanist Organization of Afro-American Unity. Less than a year after he left the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X was assassinated by three members of the group while giving a speech in New York.

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Malcolm X quotes

“Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today” “Be peaceful, be courteous, obey the law, respect everyone; but if someone puts his hand on you, send him to the cemetery.” “You're not supposed to be so blind with patriotism that you can't face reality. Wrong is wrong, no matter who says it.” “We declare our right on this earth to be a human being, to be respected as a human being, to be given the rights of a human being in this society, on this earth, in this day, which we intend to bring into existence by any means necessary.” “The future belongs to those who prepare for it today.” “I believe in human beings, and that all human beings should be respected as such, regardless of their color.” “History is a people's memory, and without a memory, man is demoted to the lower animals.” “I'm for truth, no matter who tells it. I'm for justice, no matter who it's for or against.” “If you're not ready to die for it, put the word ''freedom'' out of your vocabulary.”

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Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)

In Greensboro, North Carolina the SNCC decided to take action themselves. They started a student sit-in at the restaurant of their local Woolworth's store which had a policy of not serving black people. In the days that followed they were joined by other black students until they occupied all the seats in the restaurant. The students were often physically assaulted, but following the teachings of King they did not hit back. In February, 1960, about forty college students staged a sit-in at Woolworth's lunch counter with the intention of integrating eating establishments in Nashville, Tennessee. Their numbers increased daily and although hundreds were arrested, by May, lunch counters in Nashville began to integrate. This non-violent strategy was adopted by black students all over the Deep South. Within six months these sit-ins had ended restaurant and lunch-counter segregation in twenty-six southern cities. Student sit-ins were also successful against segregation in public parks, swimming pools, theatres, churches, libraries, museums and beaches. In October, 1960, students involved in these sit-ins held a conference and established the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). The organization adopted the Gandhian theory of nonviolent direct action. This included participation in the Freedom Rides during 1961. Leading figures in the organization included Ella J. Baker, Robert Moses, Marion Barry, James Lawson, Charles McDew, James Forman and John Lewis.

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SNCC objectives: • Desegregate the South and ensure political equality • Co-ordinate protests • Unite students across America to collectively achieve aims.

Discussion point: How united were the students in the SNCC? Were there divisions in approaches? (Peaceful vs. militant?) If so, what affect did this have on the organisation? Philosophy and approach: Inspired by the teachings of Ghandi and Martin Luther King they adopted the same non-violent protest approach, e.g. sit-ins, marches.

“ We march today for jobs and freedom, but we have nothing to be proud of, for hundreds and thousands of our brothers are not here — for they have no money for their transportation, for they are receiving starvation wages...or no wages at all. In good conscience, we cannot support the administration's civil rights bill. This bill will not protect young children and old women from police dogs and fire hoses when engaging in peaceful demonstrations. This bill will not protect the citizens of Danville, Virginia who must live in constant fear in a police state. This bill will not protect the hundreds of people who have been arrested on trumped-up charges like those in Americus, Georgia, where four young men are in jail, facing a death penalty, for engaging in peaceful protest. I want to know, which side is the federal government on? The revolution is a serious one. Mr. Kennedy is trying to take the revolution out of the streets and put it in the courts. Listen Mr. Kennedy, the black masses are on the march for jobs and for freedom, and we must say to the politicians that there won't be a 'cooling-off period.'"

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Rosa Parks

Rosa Louise McCauley Parks (February 4, 1913 – October 24, 2005) was an African American civil rights activist, whom the U.S. Congress later called "the first lady of civil rights", and "the mother of the freedom movement". On December 1, 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama, Parks, age 42, refused to obey bus driver James Blake's order that she give up her seat to make room for a white passenger. Her action was not the first of its kind. Irene Morgan in 1946, and Sarah Louise Keys in 1955, had won rulings before the U.S. Supreme Court, and the Interstate Commerce Commission, respectively, in the area of interstate bus travel. Nine months before Parks refused to give up her seat, 15-year-old Claudette Colvin refused to move from her seat on the same bus system. In New York City, in 1854, Lizzie Jennings engaged in similar activity, leading to the desegregation of the horsecars and horse-drawn omnibuses of that city. But unlike these previous individual actions of civil disobedience, Parks' action sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Parks' act of defiance became an important symbol of the modern Civil Rights Movement and Parks became an international icon of resistance to racial segregation. She organized and collaborated with civil rights leaders, including boycott leader Martin Luther King, Jr., helping to launch him to national prominence in the civil rights movement. She took her action as a private citizen "tired of giving in". Although widely honoured in later years for her action, she suffered for it, losing her job as a seamstress in a local department store. Eventually, she moved to Detroit, Michigan, where she found similar work. From 1965 to 1988 she served as secretary and receptionist to African-American U.S. Representative John Conyers. After retirement from this position, she wrote an autobiography and lived a largely private life in Detroit. In her final years she suffered from dementia and became embroiled in a lawsuit filed on her behalf against American hip-hop duo OutKast. Parks eventually received many honours ranging from the 1979 Spingarn Medal to the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Congressional Gold Medal and a posthumous statue in the United States Capitol's National Statuary Hall. Her death in 2005 was a major story in the United States' leading newspapers. She was granted the posthumous honour of lying in honour at the Capitol Rotunda.

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Rosa Parks Quotes

“All I was doing was trying to get home from work. “ “Why do you all push us around? “ “My only concern was to get home after a hard day's work. “ “I would like to be remembered as a person who wanted to be free... so other people would be also free. “ “At the time I was arrested I had no idea it would turn into this. It was just a day like any other day. The only thing that made it significant was that the masses of the people joined in.” “Racism is still with us. But it is up to us to prepare our children for what they have to meet, and, hopefully, we shall overcome.”

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