Shades of History:
The Montgomery Bus Boycott/Beyond Black and White

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Political Activist

Boycott Leaflet from Stanford's Martin Luther King, Jr. Online Encyclopedia

Your Role

A political activist is someone who takes action to try to change laws or otherwise persuade people to improve society, according to his or her views.  Often activism involves organizing events such as protests, boycotts, marches, media campaigns, and other activities in which groups of people communicate through action what they want those in power to change.

The Montgomery Bus Boycott was an example of the type of nonviolent protest that became an important part of the civil rights movement. Your job is to figure out what made the boycott work and bring your expertise back to your group. As you read, view, and listen, look for what surprises you, what you think is most interesting and important, and what you want to know more about, and try to make note of information obtained from primary sources.

Questions

• Who started the Montgomery Bus Boycott? Which people and organizations contributed to making the boycott happen?
• What changes were they trying to make? Why?
• What actions did they take toward their goals? What actions did they choose not to take? Why?

Resources

• BROWDER vs. GALE: The Women Before Rosa Parks from Tolerance.org
• Jo Ann Robinson from Stanford's Martin Luther King Online Encyclopedia
• Address to the MIA Mass Meeting at Holt Street Baptist Church from Stanford's Martin Luther King Online Encyclopedia
• Unsung Heroes of the Montgomery Bus Boycott from National Public Radio
• In The Shadow Of Rosa Parks: ‘Unsung Hero’ Of Civil Rights Movement Speaks Out from Stanford's Cardinal Enquirer
• Voices of Civil Rights: The Voices from AARP, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR), and the Library of Congress

For a place to take notes as you do your research, please print the Activist Worksheet.

© 2004-2010 Marielle Palombo