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Working towards change and social justice with March: Book 2Overview
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Discussion Questions:
1) Why did some of the civil rights leaders have concerns about John Lewis’ speech for the March on Washington? 2) Throughout the book characters change their opinions about the civil rights movements, including effective strategies of the movement. Which characters can you see developing new opinions? How do their ideas develop? 3) John Lewis demonstrates many character strengths throughout his civil rights work, as seen in March: Book 2. What characteristics do you admire or relate to? Why did you choose those traits? |
After completing your reading of March: Book 2, what questions do you have for the author or illustrator? As a school we will be reaching out to the creators to share our thoughts and experiences reading their work. Share yours using the form below or linked here:
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Historical Events in this section: The Children's CrusadeIn Birmingham, Alabama on May 2, 1963 over a thousand students marched from the Sixth Street Baptist Church to downtown. Police lines met the young protestors downtown, where 100s of children were arrested and sent to jail in paddy wagons and school buses. On May 3rd, hundreds more young people gathered. In response, police commissioner Bull Connor directed local police and fire departments to use force to stop the demonstration. The nation was stunned by the images of children being blasted by fire hoses, clubbed by police, and attacked by police dogs that appeared on television and in newspapers. Despite the violence, children continued to march and protest. The crusade ended after intervention from the U.S. Department of Justice. The event moved President John F. Kennedy’s to express support for federal civil rights legislation and the eventual passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Children's March in Birmingham, AL, 1963 President Obama inauguration, 2009 Presidential Inaugurations are held January 20th. The inauguration ceremony centers on the formal swearing in of a president, marking the first day of their term in office. Obama's speech centered on the need for accountability in Washington and the responsibility of ordinary people to get involved. Obama was the first African American president.
2009 Inauguration ceremony. President Obama taking the oath of office.
March on Washington The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, known as simply the March on Washington, was held in Washington, D.C., on August 28, 1963. The purpose of the march was to advocate for the civil and economic rights of African Americans. During the March, Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous "I have a Dream" speech. At just 23, John Lewis was the youngest speaker of the day.
16th Street Baptist Church Bombing On Sunday, September 15, 1963 a whit supremacist terrorist bombed the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama while over 200 church members were attending the 11am service and children were in Sunday School. 4 girls were killed during the bombing--14-year-old Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley and Carole Robertson and 11-year-old Denise McNair. Over 20 people sustained injuries. Outrage over the death of the four young girls helped build support behind the civil rights movement and the struggle to end segregation, which ultimately resulted in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
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People in today's reading: |
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Eugene "Bull" Connor: Chief of Police in Birmingham, Alabama and known to be ill tempered, dangerous, violent, erratic and racist (pgs. 136- 138) |
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Medgar Evers Civil rights activist who served as the first state field secretary of the NAACP in Mississippi. He organized voter-registration efforts and boycotts, and investigated crimes perpetrated against Black people. Evers was assassinated outside of his Mississippi home in 1963 (pgs. 139-141). |
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A. Philip Randolph: member of the Civil Rights "Big 6" and founder of the Brotherhood of the Sleeping Car Porters and influential Civil Rights and Labor organizer (pgs. 146-148, 150, 151, 175). |
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President Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy, often referred to by his initials JFK, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination near the end of his third year in office (pg. 147, 174). |
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Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: Central figure in the Civil Rights Movement (pg 147-148, 150, 158-164, 172). |
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Robert Kennedy: Attorney General for President Kennedy (his brother). He met with civil rights leaders about civil rights legislation and had continued dialogue with leaders about the violence and division in the South (pg 148, 152). |
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Malcolm X: Malcolm X was an African American leader in the civil rights movement and supporter of Black nationalism. He urged his fellow Black Americans to protect themselves against white aggression “by any means necessary,” a stance that often put him at odds with the nonviolent teachings of Martin Luther King, Jr. After Malcolm X’s assassination in 1965, his bestselling book, The Autobiography of Malcolm X, popularized his ideas and inspired the Black Power movement.(pgs. 149, 155) |
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Bayard Rustin: organized and led the March on Washington (pgs. 151, 153, 156-157, 160-164, 175) |
