Introduction

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

Introduction

Many of us know about the famous bus boycott of 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama. Indeed, by most any standard, the story of Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat on a bus can be considered part of the "public memory" of America. Rosa Parks is often called "the mother of the civil rights movement," and many consider the boycott to have been what launched Martin Luther King Jr. into his role as a national civil rights leader. But is there more to the story? How much do we really know about what happened, who was involved, and how the events of the boycott fit into the continuum of U.S. history? Does the story we know represent the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? Does any story? Does it matter?

This WebQuest was inspired by an intelligent, passionate, and provocative one-woman play by Awele Makeba called Rage Is Not a 1-Day Thing!, and also by an activity originated by Lisa Schneier that was part of a course on Teaching and Learning with Eleanor Duckworth at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. The WebQuest seeks to probe beneath the surface of an important American event to uncover the complexity of historical memory, build habits of critical historical analysis, and arouse student voices.

Before going any further, please take the Montgomery Bus Boycott quiz to check your knowledge about this important historical event.

1. Go to the QuizStar Web site, and click on "Student."

2. Register for the site by clicking "Sign Up" and then entering your name and creating a username and password and clicking "Register."

3. Once you are registered, click on "Search," type "MP Humanities" into the first empty field, and then select the appropriate class by checking the box next to it and clicking on "Register."

4. Once you have registered for the class, choose the "Untaken" quiz entitled "Montgomery Bus Boycott," and then proceed with taking the quiz. This quiz will help your teachers to support your learning, so please work honestly and independently.

Once you have finished the quiz, you may go on to the Background activities with the rest of your class.