Rosa
Written By: Nikki Giovanni
Illustrated By: Bryan Collier
Grades 4-6
Genre: Biography
Do you know who Rosa Parks is? Do
you know what challenges she faced? She is considered one of the strongest women
of her time. She made a statement that most people of this time were terrified
to make. She helped change the way Americans looked at each other for
generations to come.
Rosa Parks started her day off like
any other day. Her mother was just getting over a cold and her husband had just
left for work. She cleaned up after breakfast and set out for the day where she
worked in as a seamstress. She was known as one of the best seamstresses in
town. That day she had finished her work early and her boss had sent her home
for the day. Rosa was excited because she was going to make a delicious dinner
for her family. Rosa walked to the bus stop and waited for the bus.
The bus arrived and the section that
was reserved for the black people was completely full, so Rosa sat in the
neutral section of the bus. Soon the bus driver approached Rosa and told her
that she needed to move. Rosa looked surprised. The young man sitting next to
her moved immediately but Rosa stayed. The bus driver threatened to call the
police and Rosa replied with, “Do what you must.” Many of the white people on the
bus started yelling at her and telling her that she had no right to sit there.
Many of the black people on the bus stood up for Rosa explaining that it was
the neutral part of the bus and she had every right to sit there.
As she sat waiting for the police
she remembered all of the people who had stood up for civil rights. She
remember the 1954 Brown verses the Board of Education decision and she was
tired of letting the white people make decisions for her. She was tired of “colored”
entrances and “colored” drinking fountains. It was time to make a stand.
A young woman who served food to Mrs. Parks
had heard about what happened. That night she gathered 25 women together to
make a stand for Mrs. Parks. They needed to help her and they needed to do it immediately.
The women made signs that read “NO RIDERS TODAY; SUPPORT MRS. PARKS; STAY OFF
THE BUSES; WALK ON MONDAY.” The women
made enough signs for just about everyone in Montgomery.
With other criminal attacks on other
black people it was time for everyone to come together and make a statement.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. lend and amazing speech with the NAACP, the Women’s
Political Council and all of the churches standing behind him. Millions of
people from all around the United States sent shoes and clothing to Montgomery
to support their nonviolent protest. On November 13, 1956 almost a year after
Rosa Parks was arrested, the Supreme Court ruled that segregation on the buses,
in schools, and everywhere else was illegal and wrong.
I feel that this story would be
completely appropriate for the middle of a lesson on Civil Rights. The information
in the story is accurate and the illustrations draw in the attention of the
students. I feel that some information
would have to be presented to the students before reading this story. Emmet Til
is mentioned in the story and maybe some background information would be
helpful in understanding why he is mentioned. Other organizations such as the
NAACP would also need to be explained as well.
This story is a Biography on Rosa
Parks. It is not a biography on her entire life, but a really important part of
her life. I enjoyed this because it was historically correct and we were able
to see the struggles that Rosa Parks really experienced. We learn a lot about
Rosa in this short story and how powerful and strong she was.
MA
Frameworks:
8.
Define and use correctly words related to government: citizen, suffrage,
rights, and representation, federal, state, county, and municipal
9.
Give examples of the responsibilities and powers associated with major federal
and state officials (e.g., the President, chief justice of the U.S. Supreme
Court, governor, President, chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, governor)
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