Cobblestone articles from April 2008

Cobblestone archives from April 2008

Editor's note.(Editorial)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Can you imagine not being allowed to use a public bathroom? Or being ordered to ride in the back of a bus? Or not being permitted to go to school with other children--just because of the color of your skin? There was a time in our country when...

Under Jim Crow's thumb.(separation of blacks from whites in the United States)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Discrimination against blacks in America dates back to the arrival of the first slaves in the early 1600s. But in the years after the Civil War (1861-1865), Congress passed the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth...

Taking a stand.(Irene Morgan)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] To better understand what happened in 1961, we first take a look at a few of the earlier events that laid the groundwork for the Freedom Riders. This article describes two historic bus rides that tested the way...

Lunch at Woolworth's.(site of the Greensboro Sit-In)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It came as no surprise when the waitress refused to serve Joseph McNeil, David Richmond, Ezell Blair, Jr., and Franklin McCain. The four African American men sat down at the Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensboro,...

A peaceful force.(Mohandas K. "Mahatma" Gandhi)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Despite his slight body and soft-spoken voice, Mohandas K. "Mahatma" Gandhi (1869-1948) was a powerful force--a leader in the practice of peaceful, nonviolent protest. He was born and raised in India, but he...

One-way ticket to New Orleans, please.(Freedom Riders of 1961)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] One spring morning 47 years ago, 13 people entered Washington, D.C.'s bus terminal and bought tickets for a 13-day bus ride to New Orleans, Louisiana. It was May 4, 1961, and although many other people were also...

Breaking news.(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Today, Americans get breaking news from a number of sources, including television, the Internet, and radio. But during the civil rights movement, news of the struggles faced by blacks took time to reach every American. At the turn of the...

Wheels are turning.(Chronology)
April 1, 2008... Here's an at-a-glance look at some of the landmark events leading up to the Freedom Rides. 1865 Sojourner Truth sues a train conductor after he slaps her for refusing to give up her seat on a train. She wins the case, and the conductor is...

Legendary leaders.(civil rights movements leaders, Ella Baker, James Farmer, Diane Nash, Bernard Lafayette, Jr., and James Zwerg)
April 1, 2008... A number of people and organizations played pivotal roles in organizing and leading the Freedom Rides. See also page 28 for our interview with Freedom Rider and civil rights leader Jon Lewis. The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee...

'We shall overcome.'.(civil rights movement song)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Before emancipation in 1863, slaves sent each other secret messages through music. The gospel song "Wade in the Water," for example, taught escaping slaves how to hide when bloodhounds chased them. In church and in...

Did you know?(civil rights in America)
April 1, 2008... The courageous actions of many individual African Americans have influenced the course of civil rights in America. Here's a look at just a few of them. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As both a woman and an African American, journalist Ida B....

Doing the right thing.(President John F. Kennedy)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When John F. Kennedy (JFK) won the presidential election in 1960, the civil rights movement had been in full swing for half a decade. The outbreak of violent clashes between blacks and whites during the 1961 Freedom...

Appointment with destiny: an interview with John Lewis.(The Past Is Present)(Interview)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Growing up in segregated Alabama in the 1940s and 1950s, John Lewis was not the typical child of sharecroppers. He gave sermons to the chickens on his family's farm and earned the nickname "Preacher." Rather than...

Ticket to freedom.(Play)
April 1, 2008... Cast Narrator White bus driver Freedom Riders: 4 black college students (Fred, Philip, Denise, and James), and 2 white college students (Rachel and Robert) Black father Black child White man White woman ...

Memories of a later ride.(Interview)
April 1, 2008... In 1963, civil rights leaders began planning a March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Organizers didn't expect people to march to Washington, D.C., to make these demands. The idea was that groups would find their own transportation and join...

Freedom fighters: cross word.(Congressman John Lewis)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Solve this puzzle about the freedom Rides to discover Congressman John Lewi's nickname. Simply rearrange the lightlighted letters to figure it out. You'll find the answers to the clues in this issue's articles, so read carefully! If you get...

Peaceful protest.(Going Global)
April 1, 2008... Many people have used nonviolent methods to change unjust governments and policies around the world. These peaceful movements have not always succeeded, but even the ones that failed have left a legacy of hope. Fighting Apartheid ...

The whip.(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2008... I am fastened to a tree, cowering helplessly as my master approaches. ! A whip is in his hand. I beg, but my master shows no mercy. He lifts the whip and suddenly, Crack! As it hits, my master tugs the whip away. He sets his gaze on...

Abraham Lincoln civil war in the West World's Columbian Exposition.
April 1, 2008... Write to us! Draw a picture or write a poem or short essay that connects to one of the above COBBLESTONE themes on which we currently are working. All contributions must be your own, original work. Include your name and address, and a note from...

Martin Luther Ring, Jr.(Poem)
April 1, 2008... Making peace is what he did. A very knowledgeable kid. Raising voices for a better world. The minds of America have unfurled. In his heart he believed, Now most people are relieved. Longing for equal rights. ...

Freedom Riders: John Lewis and Jim Zwerg on the Front Lines of the Civil Rights Movement.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Freedom Riders: John Lewis and Jim Zwerg on the Front Lines of the Civil Rights Movement by Ann Bausum (Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, 2006, www .nationalgeographic.com) describes the real-life...

We Shall Overcome: the History of the American Civil Rights Movement.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] We Shall Overcome: The History of the American Civil Rights Movement by Reggie Finlayson (Minneapolis: Lerner Publications Company, 2003, www .lernerbooks.com) offers a comprehensive look at the civil rights movement...

Nobody Gonna Turn Me 'Round: Stories and Songs of the Civil Rights Movement.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Nobody Gonna Turn Me 'Round: Stories and Songs of the Civil Rights Movement by Doreen Rappaport (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 2006, www.candle wick.com) combines beautiful oil illustrations with the...

A Dream of Freedom: The Civil Rights Movement From 1954 to 1968.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A Dream of Freedom: The Civil Rights Movement From 1954 to 1968 by Diane McWhorter (New York: Scholastic Inc., 2004. www.scholastic.com) focuses on the years when the civil rights movement was gaining momentum and...

We Are One: The Story of Bayard Rustin.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] We Are One: The Story of Bayard Rustin by Larry Dane Brimmer (Honesdale, Pennsylvania: Caikins Creek, 2007, www.calkinscreek books.com) tells the fascinating story of one of the first African Americans to make...

John Lewis in the Lead.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] John Lewis in the Lead by James Haskins and Kathleen Benson (New York: Lee & Low Books, 2006, www .leeandlow.com). Because the civil rights movement is so frequently discussed in schools and the media, it's easy to...

More media.(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Eyes on the Prize, a critically acclaimed, award-winning documentary on the civil rights years, introduces viewers to the ordinary men and women who forever changed America when they took extraordinary action and fought to make a difference in...

On the web.(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... www.stanford.edu/group/King takes you to the Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education institute, which strives to maintain and preserve King's message of peaceful protest. The site also offers classroom resources, lesson plans, a list of...

Places to visit.(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... The King Center and the Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historic Site, Atlanta, Georgia: thekingcenter.com. This site is a living memorial to King's work and legacy, with a library, archives, and ongoing projects. The associated Web site...

Ethan rates it ...(Freedom Rides of 1961)(Website overview)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... ***** The Freedom Rides of 1961 were some of the most pivotal events of the civil rights era. Thanks to the civil rights movement, equality in America stretches across racial boundaries today. This month's featured site,...

From the archives.(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Between COBBLESTONE and our sister magazine, FOOTSTEPS, we can recommend a number of back issues with a focus on the long struggle for black equality. The following issues will introduce you to some of the movers and shakers in the years before...

The children's crusade.(Flashback to ...)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Rather than obey court orders to integrate libraries, parks, and swimming pools, the Birmingham, Alabama, city government had chosen to shut them down. The schools were entirely segregated; even a children's book...

Brain ticklers.(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Give your brain a little tickle to see how well you read and understood this issue on the Freedom Rides. If you believe the answer is false, give yourself the ultimate test and see whether you can explain why it is false. Answers below. ...

Cartoon connection with Ebenezer & the colonel.(Brief article)(Cartoon)
April 1, 2008... Those FREEDOM RIDERS must have been really brave. It takes a lot of COURAGE to stand up for something you know is right. Especially when other people don't agree with you.... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] We tend to think of HEROES...

Panther power!(Creature Feature)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... The black panther is one of the most striking members of the majestic cat family, but we don't recommend calling these large beasts "kitty." "Panther" is really a generic term to describe any big cat, including the cougar (also called puma or...