Movie Poster

Smoking and Addiction

What is addiction?
When someone gets hooked onto something, they continue to go back to the substance that had hooked them. Once they constantly go back to it, they've started an addiction. The urge to use this substance is too strong to control, you feel as if you have to have it in order to feel like yourself. When they first start using the substance, they don't plan on getting addicted to it. Something that makes them addicted is the feeling the substance makes them feel. They feel as if the substance makes them feel a lot better, what they don't know is how damaging these substances are to their bodies. Drugs can change the way your brain works, and sometimes you don't have control over how much of the drug or substance you use. Addictions cause people to feel as if their addiction is the urge get and use the drug whenever they can. It can also cause them to feel as if it's the only thing they enjoy. It may cause them to do terrible things such as lying, stealing, or committing crimes. Once the addiction begins, the hunger for it begins and the desire to stop is impossible.

Why do teens start smoking/using tobacco?
Teens start smoking/using tobacco most likely because of peer pressure or pressure from academic stress as well as many other factors. Teens are usually pressured by their friends or peers because they feel as if they need to smoke or use tobacco in order to fit in with the crowd. Teens as well as many other adults turn to smoking or using tobacco because they feel alone or as if they're trapped inside a whole other world where they're distant from humanity. Teens would turn to smoking and tobacco because they feel like they can't fit in, they find comfort in smoking and using drugs or even alcohol. Other reasons why teens may start smoking or using tobacco would be because once they begin, they can't stop or they can't stand the life without the drug or the feeling of smoking. They may feel happy or "cool" because they smoke.

What are the risks of using tobacco?
There are many risks of using tobacco. Tobacco stimulates the same areas of the brain as cocaine and amphetamines. After hours of smoking, the body adapts to the toxins which quickly makes smoking necessary. Smoking tobacco can cause many types of cancer, oral cavity cancer, larynx cancer, lung cancer, mouth cancer, and more. The use of tobacco can also cause emphysema and chronic bronchitis. If you smoke tobacco you can also start to see a few other effects, which include: peptic ulcers, Systemic atherosclerosis, etc.




How can they quit?
In order to quit smoking or the use of tobacco, you can receive help by either visiting a rehab center or by talking to close friends or family members. If you're not comfortable with seeking help from your friends or family, you can also receive help from counselors or therapists. Another way you can quit is by throwing away all of your cigarettes or anything that would trigger your addiction again. It may take quite a lot of time, but it'll definitely impact your health and life in a positive way.

History Alive Topic Ideas

1. Joan Baez 

• She's an American folk singer, songwriter and activist. She's the best known for her distinctive voice and her role in a making the music of Bob Dylan popular. 
• Her music often expressed her social and political views. 
• She sang a song named "We Shall Overcome" at the March on Washington in 1963. This march was organised by Martin Luther King Jr. 
• She supported civil rights as well as participated in the antiwar movement, wanting and calling for an end to the conflict in Vietnam. 
• She refused to pay part of her taxes to protest against the U.S. military spending for a decade. 
• She helped establish the west coast branch of Amnesty International which was a human rights organization. She also performed at many fundraisers for social and political causes around the world. 

2. Josephine Baker 

• Josephine was a dancer as well as a singer. She became wildly popular in France during the 1920's devoting most of her life to fighting racism. 
• She grew up living in poverty, and learnt how to dance which soon led her to finding success on Broadway. 
• Once she moved to France and became one of Europe's most popular and highest paid performers. 
• She started working at the age of eight to support for her growing family, she cleaned houses and babysat for wealthy white families. She returned to school two years later, before running away from home and finding work as a waitress at a club. 
• She returned to the U.S. to perform, but she was met with a racist reaction and she soon returned back to France. 
• In France, she worked for the Red Cross during the France occupation. She worked for the French Resistance and smuggled hidden messages in her sheet music. 
• She participated in demonstrations and boycotts against segregated clubs and concert venues once she returned back to America. She spoke at the March on Washington and was a notable speaker, the NAACP named May 20th "Josephine Baker Day." 

3. Yuri Kochiyama 

• She was raised in San Pedro, California. Her father was arrested by the FBI during the Pearl Harbour bombing because her father was a first generation Japanese. 
• Yuri and her children were actively involved in black liberation struggles, anti-war movement, and the Asian- American movement. 
• She invited many civil rights activists such as the Freedom Riders to their home gatherings. 
• In 1963, she met Malcom X and they began a friendship. 
• After his speech when he was assassinated which speaking to the OAAU, she had a keen interest in equality and justice which led her to work for the political prisoners in the U.S. 

4. James Weldon Johnson 

• He was an early civil rights activists, a leader of the NAACP, as well as a leading figure in the creation and development of the Harlem Renaissance. 
• James and his brother wrote a song called "Lift Every Voice and Sing," which later became the official anthem of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. 
• President Theodore Roosevelt appointed him to diplomatic positions in Venezuela and Nicaragua. 
• He published hundreds of stories and poems. He wrote collections of stories and poems that celebrated the African- American experience in the rural South and other places. 
• After retiring from the NAACP in 1930, he devoted the rest of his life to writing. He became the first African-American professor at New York University. 

5. Tammy Duckworth 

• former Singapore American Student in 1985 
• She was the first Asian American woman elected to Congress in Illinois, she was also the first disabled women to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
• She was also the first member of Congress that was born in Thailand. 
• During the Iraq war she served as a veteran as well as a U.S. Army helicopter pilot. She suffered severe combat wounds, she then lost both her legs and had injured her right arm. 
• in 2009, Obama appointed Tammy as assistant secretary in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affair. 

Historical Fiction Narrative Poetry and Author's Note

Complete Poetry Collection

Outside the Windows

There wasn’t much to Deutsches Reich.

The streets were mostly empty,

with the frequent occurrence of Nazi soldiers

storming up and down

the rigid sidewalks,

walking past closed stores.

Outside these stores on doors and windows,

hung a sign with a symbol of dignity

of those who’ve been stripped of their pride

and culture.

The Star of David

or the words painted “Juden.”

A flame ignited, reflecting on the pupil of my eye,

they burned everything that belonged to Jews.

A flame ignited, reflecting on the pupil of my eye,

they burned everything that belonged to Jews.

I could never forget the day,

May 10th.

The glow of the fire,

lit up the sky like stars of the night.

I watched as they threw book by book into the

the fire.

I watched as the endless pages of unforgettable words were engulfed.

Ash covered the night sky,

books piled on top of each other.

All the beautiful literature soon became a mess of darkness.

People surrounded the mountain of burning fire,

“All heil Hitler!”

As they raised their hands into the air.

I’ll never forget the day,

where darkness was the only light in Germany.

How did our country end up like this?

Will hope pull me through this?

Taken Away

There they are.

storming the streets,

their hands gripped onto weapons.

It brought horror to me,

all I could see was their armbands

with the Swastika sign

sewn onto red fabric,

wrapped around their arms,

on top of their uniform sleeves.

All I could see was

their angered expressions,

Their mouths furiously enunciated,

as their tall black boots kicked the doors.

Nothing was going to stop them.

My father’s eyes

widened,

pulling my mother and I

into hiding.

Broken Home

“No! Father! No! Don’t let them do this to us! No!”

I shouted,

I looked into his helpless eyes.

Everything flashed before my eyes.

I grasped onto his arm,

my father’s,

he handed me something.

It was a letter.

I screamed and screamed,

but the figures in the doorway

Furiously yelled,

at least that’s what I think they were doing,

their mouths wide open,

with their weapons held against our heads.

We were caught.

Jews could never hide.

No matter how hard you try,

we’re always caught

And taken away

As our homes and past are left

broken .

What Is It Like?

We were separated.

That was last time I saw them,

my mother and my father.

My past was completely erased.

I couldn’t look into the eyes of them,

their eyes were poison,

once you look, you’ll be sickened by the truth.

The last I ever saw of the outside world was the many people,

crowded around each other, raising their hands in the air

as they saluted Hitler.

I was pushed into the back of a van,

where pitch darkness was my only company,

the eyes of the other Jews

stared sadly at me,

with the force of a Nazi,

the doors of the truck

closed shut.

The outside world was a stranger to me,

what is it like to be someone

other than a Jew?

What is it like to roam the streets

without any fear?

What is it like to

feel the wind in your hair as you

run up and down the streets?

What is it like to

hear laughter and happiness?

Everything will forever remain a mystery,

my hands clutched onto the paper,

that was the last thing I have of

my family,

my past,

my independence.

Sidelines

I saw him staring,

his piercing hazel eyes found me everywhere I went,

regardless of the swarm of Jews that surrounded me.

As I stand

with nine other prisoners in my row,

roll call was about to begin.

Hours after hours went by,

and yet there he was.

Still staring as if I was endangered…

ready to die.

Fear struck inside of me,

as the guards and officers count the prisoners

one by one.

Concentration Camp

At last I awoke,

I don’t remember how I got here.

Mouths moved,

but I couldn’t hear a single sound,

I navigated by following the crowds.

If everyone got up,

I did too.

If everyone was

lining up,

Row by row,

In lines of ten,

I’d follow.

I couldn’t draw attention to me

Or I wouldn’t make it another day.

Wired fences barricaded us from the outside world,

Striped uniforms removed us from our

Uniqueness,

Personalities,

And originality.

The Star of David was sewn onto our uniforms,

In order for our predators to know who we are.

Instead we were forced to be the same.

Which was Hitler’s utopia,

For everyone to be the same,

For him to have power over everything.

Labor was all we did,

Nazis watched our every move,

We were surrounded.

The Girl

There she was.

Something about her

intrigues me.

Something about her

pulls me in,

wanting to know more.

In a crowd of Jews,

I couldn’t help but take my eyes off of her.

She was interesting.

She wasn’t like any other Jew.

She was quiet,

never spoke a word,

never grunted or complained.

I see her holding onto something.

It was a piece of paper.

Criminals weren’t supposed to own anything,

But I couldn’t turn her in.

I was determined

to know what information that piece of paper holds.

Surroundings

The thin stone hard mattress,

Restless bodies laid around me,

Bunk after bunk,

Tired from the

Hours and hours

Of labour,

The lack of food,

And the lack of rest.

I could hear the crickets from outside,

Oh how I wish I could be like them.

Outside in the world,

Making music freely and loudly,

With the hope that someone would listen.

I wish I could be like them,

Active and roaming around.

Little light seeped through the windows,

But I could see a few of the stars

That lit up the pitch dark sky,

The only light source to darkness.

My eyes began to flutter,

Flutter like butterflies,

Until they shut close

Waiting for light to come in soon.

Helpless

Day by day went by

as we stood in line

waiting to be selected for our jobs.

Pregnant women were taken away,

Some were forced to have an abortion,

whereas others were labeled as incapable of work.

Many of those women were

killed.

I watched

as women around me were being taken away.

Some were beaten,

stripped and forced to stand out for long hours.

Us women were their targets,

they used torture and rape to get into our heads,

to mess with us,

to break us down,

piece by piece.

They were the guns,

and women were the targets,

one was bound to get hit,

and the other was bound to have all the power.

We were put into vulnerable places,

with no control.

I fear of the day,

where I’m their next victim.

For Her.

I wanted to reach out,

I called for her,

She didn’t look back,

she probably didn’t hear me.

I walked up to her,

She stared at me

as if I were to hurt her.

“Come with me.”

I said,

grasping onto her arm.

Fear

The touch of his hand around my arm

sent shivers down my spine.

I was his victim,

This was the end

of me.

Alzbeta

Her name was Alzbeta.

She couldn’t hear me,

Because she was different.

She didn’t say a word,

Because she didn’t want to draw attention.

She was afraid of what I would do to her.

She carried a letter,

A letter from her father.

She couldn’t dare look me in the eyes.

Her letter talked about how much her father loved her,

How many lies Hitler has spread among Germany,

And her father told her that

Even if she felt powerless, power will soon build up,

And she’ll gain enough courage to

Fight.

To fight for what she believed in.

I let her go.

The End

“We have to fight for what we believe in,

And I believe that us Jews should have more rights.

We should have the right to roam around the streets,

Without fear of Hitler, without the fear of death!

Our religion shouldn’t define us,

Our past shouldn’t control our future!”

I yelled out,

Even though people may not have understood me.

The mouths of the other Jews opened,

What I believe was chanting was the mellow sounds I could hear.

I felt the tug of two Nazis’ arms around me,

Pulling me away from where I stood.

This was the end.

I was pulled into a dark room,

This was it.

This is where I stand.

This was the end.

Author’s Note

On March 1933, soon after Adolf Hitler was appointed chancellor of Germany, the very first concentration camp was established. Development of organization, structure, and practice at the Dachau, the first concentration camp. Dachau became the model for the Nazi concentration camp system that soon expanded all over Germany. The Jewish deaf teenage girl, Alzbeta Levi and Nazi solider, Emmett Schubert are fictional characters that have been placed into a historical yet important time period. I wanted to write this story through a woman’s point of view. I saw that most documented stories that have been turned into books were often based on men’s experiences. I wanted to write about this topic due to the fact that I desired for more people to be aware of the hardships Jewish women had to go through during the Holocaust, particularly in concentration camps. Many have read stories about the suffering and mistreatment of these Jews. Whereas some may not be aware of how severely Jewish women were abused and were subjected to cruel persecution that was specific to their gender.

One source that helped inspired this story was an article on unitedwithisreal.org named “Jewish Women’s Suffering During the Holocaust”. What stuck to me with this article was that during the Nazi oppression, Jewish women were known to be especially vulnerable. Women in concentration camps were more likely to die than men were. Not only were they often beat, forced to stand outside for long hours outside, they were also forced to shave their hair off. Pregnant women were also forced to have abortions against their will. There was also a strong connection between rape and genocide, Nazis frequently used rape to put Jewish women in vulnerable positions where they weren’t able to do anything. This source really helped inspired a lot of the scenes that significantly enhanced the mood and the meaning of the story.

Women’s rights is still an issue till this day, as a female myself, we’re constantly put into situations where it seems as if we don’t have a voice. These poor, suffering women weren’t allowed to have a voice to speak up for their beliefs. Their experiences weren’t shared until after they’ve suffered through traumatizing events, instead they were forced to stay quiet. When people read these series of poems they should be able to follow the main character, Alzbeta, and leave the story learning a lesson that although you may seem powerless when dealing with tough situations, courage will soon build up within you to fight for what you believe in.

The Holocaust and the development of women’s rights have made a significant impact on our history. Germany under Adolf Hitler's control is an interesting time period that many could learn from. I encourage you to seek out into the story of the Holocaust and learn about the treatment and lifestyles of the Jews. I recommend taking a look at some of the most eye-opening and life-changing stories, books, websites, which include: The Diary of Anne Frank, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Holocaust Encyclopedia. "Anne Frank." United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. United States Holocaust Memorial Council, 29 Jan. 2016. Web. 15 Mar. 2016. <https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005210>.

Avraham, Rachel. "Jewish Women's Suffering During the Holocaust." UWI. Rachel Avraham, 8 Apr. 2013. Web. 15 Mar. 2016.

H.E.A.R.T, Chris Webb. "Women Record Their Accounts of the Holocaust.".holocaustresearchproject. N.p., 2009. Web. 15 Mar. 2016.

Smith, Linell. "The Bulletin - Google News Archive Search." The Bulletin - Google News Archive Search. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2016.

SCHIFF, CHARLENE. "Https://www.ushmm.org/outreach/en/media_oi.php?MediaId=1109." Interview. Audio blog post. Www.ushmm.org. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington, DC, n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2016. <https://www.ushmm.org/outreach/en/media_oi.php?MediaId=1109>.

Civil Rights Timeline

13th, 14th, 15th Amendment

• Before - Reconstruction Amendments, African Americans were still slaves and property to white Southerners. Wasn't a specific law that allowed slaves to be set free, vote, etc. 
• During: 13th amendment : abolished slavery. 14th: to protect the civil rights to freed slaves after the Civil war. 15th: protects voting rights of all the citizens. Southerners passed Black Codes restricted African Americans to do certain things. 
• After: Southerners rigged literacy tests to that the African Americans couldn't vote. Eventually, Blacks couldn't vote because of this. Jim Crow Laws (1877-1954) enforced racial segregation. 

K.K.K 

• Before the K.K.K - begun with slavery which led to having many abolitionists therefore starting the civil war. 
• During the K.K.K - after the civil war, they murdered and terrorized African Americans and ran them out of the South. 
• Present - is still happening now, not as many murders from them, they light giant crosses on fire, and they hold rituals and rally, still believe that African Americans should still be a lower class than them and that they should still be superior compared to African Americans. 

Reconstruction Acts

• period 1865 - 1877. 2 Acts were passed by Congress, 1867, March 2. 
• First Reconstruction Act split the South into 5 conquered districts. 
• Radical Republicans, a wing of the republican party that were formed because they wanted to secure rights for freed slaved during the Reconstruction Act 
• Aftermath of 9/11, many new  laws, acts were passed. USA Patriot Act giving law enforcement agencies search and surveillance powers over US citizens without a warrant. 

Jim Crow Laws 

• Created in 1830, by Thomas D. Rice - Minstrel Show which occurred 19th century entertainment. Laws were based on him because he had put on makeup to look like a Black and Whites based their opinion on Blacks based on them. 
• Segregation in public places, Martin Luther King Jr. & Rosa Parks changed segregation 
• Stopped when Lyndon Johnson and Martin Luther King Jr. signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965. 

Plessy v.s. Ferguson 

• Homer Plessy - 1/8 black, 7/8 white.
• June 7, 1892 - white railroad car 
• court case that came up with the saying "separate but equal." 
• Court case allows Jim Crow laws to be legal 
• Plessy v.s. Ferguson court case allowed discrimination and segregation 

Literacy Test 

• Feb. 1869, black men were officially allowed to vote. First literacy test was introduced in 1890 which was included in the Jim Crow Laws. 
• In 2010, most Harvard Students failed the test even if they were literate. Black people were illiterate back then. 
• 2010 republicans took control of the 11 state legislations and raised the specters of voter fraud 
• You must bring your ID of yourself in order to vote 
• 2005 ID Law was passed and it required a certain amount of IDs might black people didn't have. 
• 2015 North Carolina voter fraud ID favors white 

Great Migration

• 5 million - 6 million Blacks migrated 
• The first migration - Blacks wanted more job opportunities which were offered in the North as there was a lack of jobs in the South. They also wanted to escape from racial violence in the South. 
• Second migration : deprived economy in the South, and job opportunities were offered in the North. 
• Hardships of living in the North: wages were very low, big lack of low income housing units, in low housing conditions, there was poor medical treatment and there was still a lot of racial violence in the North. 

NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) 

• African American Civil Rights organization 
• Formed on Feb 12. 1909. Founded by Moorfield Storey, Mary White Ovington. Was a Civil Rights movement. 
• Outrageous amounts of discrimination led to the formation of the NAACP. 
• got fid of the law that stopped African Americans from voting. Began to fight for civil rights around the world. 
• Sponsors program that recognized and awards African American youth who demonstrates accomplishment in academics and or other fields 
• helped abolish death penalty in many countries. 

Brown v.s. Board of the Education 

• May 17, 1954 - end date supreme court ruled the segregation in public schools unconstitutional 
• 1879 Kansas law was the separation of black and white schools 
• Thurgood Marshall won the battle and changed the law - served from October 1967 to October 1991 - associate justice of the Supreme court 
• Before black and whites weren't able to go to school, now they're able to. 

Presidents Committee on Civil Rights

• Chairman of the President's Committee of Civil Rights was Charles Wilson, was the CEO of general Electric. Established by President Harry Truman through executive order of 9808. 
• 1948 - Harry Truman signed executive orders 9980 and 9981, shocked at how African Americans were treated after Civil War. 

Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955 

• 1955 MLK organised non-violent protest in form of a boycott against bus segregation 
• bus fare was stolen sometimes, boycott called all African Americans to not take bus. 
• During boycott - 381 days - 90% of African Americans didn't take the bus. It started on Dec. 5, 1955. People took bikes, walked, etc. 
• 2-1 Court Case. one goal - challenge fat that bus segregation was constitutional, MLK was fined $500 since boycotting was against the law. 

Little Rock 9 

• group of 9 African Americans who enrolled into school. 
• Blacks had a poorer educational system compared to Whites. 
• After little rock 9 many blacks were inspired to get a higher education. 

University of Mississippi Integrated 

• James Meredith was the first African American to attend an all White University, had many federal troops to protect him. 
• He's with his lawyer, on June 6, 1966 he was shot for attending an all white university, after he did a civil rights march. 

Civil Rights Act of 1957 

• both voting rights bill and integrated school, signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower which developed new rules to prevent segregation. 
• Created to enforce integration of schools and militaries, allowed African Americans equal voting rights, which also took away Literacy tests, and poll taxes. This established Civil Rights division in Justice department. 
• Unpopular with segregationists, multiple attacks on African American communities, MLK sent telegram to president Eisenhower to make a speech to the Southerners to prevent these acts from happening in the future. But Eisenhower said that it wouldn't matter. 
• Increased amount of African American voters by 3% 

Southern Christian Leadership Conference 

• founded by Martin Luther King Jr. he wanted more civil rights for the African Americans. 
• SCLC was found on Jan. 10, 1957 , joining the SNCC in the Albany Movement to fight against segregation. 
• mass protests and marches took place in order to get the respect that they deserve. 

Freedom Summer

• occurred in June 1964, brought southern students to the North to non-violently protest. 5.3% African Americans were only able to vote. 
• These volunteers protested during the summer and boycott busses, one well known case would be the murder of three men, they were investigating the situation of the Black church burning, they were led to the K.K.K and were missing. 
• Tried to end segregation in the voting. 

Poll Tax 

• When states made people pay to vote. Emerged in some states of the United States in the late 19th century. Made other races with not as much money to not be able to vote. 
• January 23, 1964 - it was ratified. Prohibited poll tax, now everyone can vote without having to pay money. 
• 15th amendment allowed all races to vote. Sone states made literacy tests and poll tax. States tried to stop other races from voting but congress amended the constitution. 

Freedom Riders 

• group of Black and White people who were trying to challenge segregation at a national level. They challenged segregation at the federal level, rode across the countries, occurred in 1961. 
• Rode busses across the country North to South. 
• George Lewis as one of the big Six Civil Rights leader, member of the democratic leadership of the house of representatives, spoke on 1963 on the march. 
• Freedom riders used a simple action and way of protesting to show others that the civil rights movement was something to fight for. Inspired others to join the bandwagon while also making a statement. 

Bloody Sunday 

• March 7, 1965 - Jimmy Lee Jackson fatally shot by an Alabama State trooper during a peaceful protest which included 600 marchers. From Selma to Montgomery, once they got to Edmund Pettus Bride they were attacked. 
• Bloody Sunday was televised around the world, more marches happened on March 9 and 12. 
• Connection - Ferguson shooting, Darren Wilson, a white police officer, shot and killed Michael Brown, this showed discrimination against African Americans. 

Martin Luther King Jr. Assassination 

• 1968, Memphis, Tennessee, he was shot at a hotel. 
• He led many marches and campaigns, and was an activists. Montgomery  Bus Boycott, he led the march on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, led Selma to Montgomery march. 
• His famous "I Had A Dream" Speech. 
• Birmingham Campaign, made people boycott from selling things, led library sitting, etc. 
• Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested, wrote a letter that was really important. 

Selma

Students can learn a lot from the examples set by the leaders and followers of Selma. These students can learn many life lessons that the leaders and followers had experienced and shared with everyone. It teaches us how determined and brave these leaders and followers were. Their marches started off due to the fact that they wanted to stop something that wasn't fair for their race, they believed they had the right to vote regardless of their skin colour. They believed that they shouldn't need to take literary tests that were made in order to prevent them from voting, they wanted to stop all of the injustice that was happening. They fought long and hard regardless of the danger, they protested/marched even though they could possibly go to jail for it. Their marches were constantly stopped but they went on another one soon after, they never gave up and they kept on fighting until they received what they wanted. As one of the leaders/followers of Selma, Willie Nell Avery, said that what happened wasn't documented correctly. This shows that students shouldn't believe everything they've read and that they should connect it to other sources. Students are also able to learn about the issue of education back then. They're able to be more aware of the lack of education for the Black people and how White people took that as an advantage in order to prevent Blacks from having too much power to vote. These literary tests were difficult because most of the African Americans weren't able to attend school and were illiterate. Even till this day, many literate students aren't able to ace these literary tests. This march shows the motivation that these leaders/followers had in order to make a difference. All in all, I think that students are able to learn a lot of life lessons and issues that occurred. We're also able to learn about how these leaders and followers of Selma had impacted history and their country.

Rosa Parks

1.   Why is bus segregation even a big deal? Who cares who sits in the different parts of the bus? Why does this matter at all?

Bus segregation is a big deal due to the fact that it made Black people feel insignificant compared to the White people. It showed that Black people had no power or voice because of their skin colour. Depending on who's point of view you're looking at, it depends what race or what your morales are when it comes to caring about who sits in the different parts of the bus. Some White people have the need to have all the power, they would do anything to get an African American in trouble. So if you're looking at this situation from a White person's point of view who's against African Americans, you would care about who sits in different parts of the bus and would want a Black person to give up their seat for you. These White Americans would also justify their actions in forcing and demanding these African Americans to give up their seats by telling them it's in the law. Where as if you're looking at this problem from an African American or someone who isn't anti-African American's point of view, they wouldn't care who sits in what part of the bus. Depending on what views you have, bus segregation should matter in a way that (Black) people shouldn't feel obligated to give up their seats for White people when demanded. Regarding what race sits where on the bus shouldn't matter at all. 

2.   Put yourself in Rosa Parks’s shoes: You’re going home from work. You have a family. A small incident arises. What do you honestly do? How far would you go? (Jail? Pay a fine? Lose your life? Explain your limits.)

I have two ways of looking at this situation. Part of me feels as if I would stand up for myself and I wouldn't give up my seat, but another part of me feels as if I'd be too afraid to speak up and I would automatically stand up to avoid any conflict. 

If I were to put myself in Rosa Park's shoes and I do decide to stand up for myself I would want to make a difference. I would want to stand up for my beliefs and stand up for all the of the African Americans who have been mistreated just because of segregation, not only on busses but segregation in general. If I were to follow her footsteps, I would also continue sitting on the seat, regardless of how many times the fellow White passengers demand me to get up. I would wait for the police to come, I think the farthest I would go would be jail or paying a fine. I think I would want to be able to continue living my life after being fined or jailed due to the fact that I want to be able to stand up for the African Americans and teach an important lesson that could change the views of many. 

As regarding the other part of me that feels as if I would be too afraid to speak up. I think that parts of me wouldn't want to get in trouble with anyone, I would do anything to avoid any conflict. I think in this situation, if I decided not to continue sitting until the police came, I would stand up after the White passenger had demanded me a few times to give up my seat. I think that with this situation it would still teach me a lot and would still anger me. This situation would encourage and push me to make a difference in the way that White Americans treat African Americans. 

3.   Parks’ words are very deliberate. She says, “You may do that.” What do you think about the wording of her statement?

Her wording showed her bravery and that she was she's sick of being treated like this. Her wording shows her bravery because not many African Americans would do the same thing she did, they would be too afraid of death or jail time. She felt that it was time to stand up for not only herself but her race, she was sick of how badly African Americans were being treated and how White people had so much power over them. She felt like there must be a change in how everyone is treating each other. Her words were very calm especially if you take this situation into consideration. Many would face this situation with anger and frustration, whereas she took this situation very calmly and didn't show any fear. Even though she knew that she was going to be jailed, she accepted the fact that she needed to fight for her beliefs and accepted the fact that she would end up being in jail.