Contributor: Meghan Vestal. Lesson ID: 12593
What would it take to make a big change in society? Riots? Money? Power? Most changes require at least courage. Discover a brave, unknown lady who didn't "stand" for injustice and started a movement!
Image, via Wikimedia Commons, is available in the holdings of the National Archives and Records Administration, cataloged under the National Archives Identifier (NAID) 542010 and is in the public domain.
Segregation is when groups of people are intentionally separated.
In the mid-1900s, white people and black people were separated by government laws. They attended different schools, ate in different restaurants, and sat in different sections of the bus. The spaces given to each group of people were not equal. White people were consistently given better facilities and resources.
The Civil Rights Movement was a movement to end racial segregation in the United States. It took place mostly during the 1950s and the 1960s. There were several people who stood up to the groups enforcing racial segregation, and they inspired other people to do the same.
One of those people was Rosa Parks.
In this lesson, you will learn how Rosa inspired all of Montgomery, Alabama, to take a stand against racial segregation, and even helped to end segregation in some areas of the city.
As you scroll through the timeline below, take notes on how Rosa impacted the Civil Rights Movement:
Rosa Parks was one of the most important leaders of the civil rights movement. She led by example, showing others that they, too, could stand up to people who were doing wrong. To learn more about Rosa, watch the short video clip.
As you watch Rosa Parks - Mini Bio, from The Biography Channel, continue to write down ways Rosa inspired others:
After you are finished watching the video, use your notes to help you reflect on the following questions. You can write your responses in the spaces provided or on a separate piece of paper:
Review your responses and consider:
Then, move on to the Got It? section to use an interactive to review what you have learned about Rosa Parks.