The Freedom Riders looked to invoke federal action and gain national attention as they traveled on interstate bus lines across the South seeking service at white-only waiting rooms and lunch counters.
King writes to inquire about the availability and price of certain categories of enslaved persons in Charleston, South Carolina. King also makes some general comments about the state of the economy in Milledgeville.
This toolkit for “Shifting Out of Neutral” focuses on historical thinking development through critical literacy and builds on author Jonathan Gold’s call for educators to acknowledge and teach about power and bias.
Jeanette Winterson, author and poet, once said, “Books communicate ideas and make bridges between people.” As a middle school language arts teacher, I believed in this theory but wanted to see it in action. When I suggested to my principal that I would like to organize a book club with my students and local senior citizens, he was cautiously intrigued by the idea.
In the United States in 2014, we take our freedom of movement for granted. We can drink from any water fountain, shop in any store and stay in any hotel we can afford. Prior to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, these simple activities were not so simple.