Freedom Walkers

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Freedom, Russell. Freedom Walkers: The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. New York: Holiday House. 2006 ISBN 978-0-8234-2031-5

SUMMARY
In 1955 segregation was the law in the American South. It separated whites from blacks in every aspect of life: in hospitals, schools, churches, hotels, restaurants and even simply riding a public bus. The laws of the South in the 1950s were such that blacks were prevented of being in the same company of whites in any public setting.  These “Jim Crow” laws required a black person to pay a poll tax to vote or to give up their seat to a white person even if he/she were sitting in a seat designated “for blacks only.” The black community of Montgomery, Alabama, led by Martin Luther King Jr. initiated a non-violent bus boycott in the spirit of his belief that “we must meet hate with love.” The boycott ended the use of this critical means of transportation for the poorer Negro population. The effort to change discriminatory laws lasted over a year and involved the entire community of Montgomery. This 381-day struggle resulted in an eventual Supreme Court ruling that declared Alabama’s state and local segregation laws a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. This struggle for civil rights did not simply begin and end with Rosa Parks’ refusal one day to give up her seat to a white man. Russell Freedman’s compelling book is the story of the thousands of people who sacrificed and banded together in order to end this injustice and win a major victory in the civil rights movement.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Freedman’s inclusion of so many players in the Montgomery Bus Boycott sets this scene for the heroes who protested and changeed the course of American history. The courage of these American citizens to persevere in order to eliminate injustice and inequality leave the reader with a feeling of raw emotion, as if to experience the humiliation and anger present in those explosive times.  The black and white photos in each two-page spread are just a few of the illustrations depicting a united effort in this time of civil defiance. Even Mother Pollard, a well-known elderly woman in the community refused a ride from a car-owning minister and preferred to walk instead declaring, “My feets is tired, but my soul is rested.” Homes were bombed and blacks were intimidated by the white authorities and the Klu Klux Klan. Yet the long, peaceful struggle continued. Being arrested became a badge of honor, despite the palpable fear throughout the Negro community.

Freedman’s writing is compelling and informative. It encourages critical thinking and lively discussion. The interviews and quotations from those directly involved in the boycott, the black and white photographs depicting segregated scenes, and the inclusion of so many important, yet largely unknown facts, make this an exceptional reference book for intermediate students. The bibliographic references and an extensive index provide additional resources for students who want to learn more about this period. In his own words about Martin Luther King Jr. Freedman says, “More than any other leader of his turbulent era, he had been able to give America’s conscience a voice.” Freedman has given young people the ears and eyes to stand up and take notice of injustice and the knowledge that peaceful protest can evoke hope and change.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
ALA Booklist starred review- “In his signature clear prose, Freedman draws on the best of those personal stories and historical accounts to provide a dramatic overview of how the 381-day resistance to segregated buses spearheaded the civil rights movement.”

Horn Book starred review

School Library Journal starred review- “…an exemplary presentation…a powerful introduction to the Civil Rights Movement.”

CONNECTIONS
*Link Freedom Walkers to other books about the Civil Rights Movement. Encourage students to write a poem that extends the meaning of Martin Luther King’s message “we must meet hate with love.”
(p. 66)

*Discuss the terms “justice” and “oppression” and what it means for minorities and those who mistreat them. How has peaceful resistance changed the course of other historical struggles?

*Additional Russell Freedman books that chronicle extraordinary events or people:

Buffalo Hunt. 1995 ISBN-10: 0823411591

Give Me Liberty: The Story of the Declaration of Independence. 2002 ISBN-10: 0823417530

The Life and Death of Crazy Horse. 1996. ISBN-10: 0823412199

RESOURCES

http://www.5minutesforbooks.com/812/freedom-walkers/

http://titlepeek.fsc.follett.com/tp/query?action=3&subnumber=8501546&isbn=9780823420315&appid=4

Picture:
http://bookwizard.scholastic.com/tbw/viewWorkDetail.do?workId=1211772&

Vardell, Sylvia. Children’s Literature in Action. Westport, CT. Libraries Unlimited. 2008.