Chapter 20: The Civil Rights Struggle "Rosa Parks"

Introduction On a December evening in 1956, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery city bus to a white passenger. She was tired, she said, but not from working all day as a seamstress. She was tired of the segregation laws that humiliated and restricted African Americans like herself. Parks's decision was the catalyst that united a growing civil rights movement and brought national attention to African Americans' struggle for citizens' rights. This Web site profiles Parks as one of the 100 most important people of the 20th century. Visit this site to find out what gave Parks the courage to challenge the constitutionality of segregation and how her actions impacted the civil rights movement. Destination Title: TIME 100: Rosa Parks Note: Clicking on the link above will launch a new browser window. Need help using your browser for this activity? Click here for tips. Directions Start at the Time 100: Rosa Parks Web site. Read the profile on "Page 1." Continue to "Page 2" and "Page 3" by clicking on the links at the bottom of the first page. Browse through the site, taking notes as you go. After you have read through the information, answer the following questions. 1. Describe the segregation laws that governed Montgomery public buses. 2. List the ways in which Parks had been active in civil rights prior to the incident on the bus. 3. What personal qualities helped Parks withstand public scrutiny when she challenged segregation laws? 4. What happened to Parks after her arrest? 5. Imagine that Parks is speaking in your city, and you have been selected to introduce her to the audience. Write an introductory speech that describes her accomplishments, her qualities, and the impact she made on the civil rights movement. Then, present your introduction to the class.