New School Montessori 6th graders spent some time studying and writing papers on numerous Civil Rights events. They presented their projects to the class and created a timeline together. The students remarked about how sad they were to hear what terrible things the African American community endured. They said they knew it had been a bad time, but they hadn’t realized how very terrible it was, how cruel, and that it wasn’t that long ago.
- Mirabelle studied Rosa Parks and admired her bravery. She was proud that Ms. Parks had let people know that women can stand up for rights too. Mirabelle said, “Doing this project changed my perspective on what I thought had happened. It was much worse than I knew.”
- Rob reported on Martin Luther King Jr. and was surprised that at the age of 12, Martin attempted suicide by jumping from a 2nd story window after the death of his grandmother. Rob was amazed at how important Dr. King’s life was to our world and how much we would’ve missed if he had not lived.
- Stella researched the Klu Klux Klan with their burning of crosses, lynching of citizens and the power they held over people’s live and property. She was sad to know that the organization still exists today.
- Other reports were given on:
- The Little Rock Nine
- Emmett Till
- Lunch Counter Sit-ins
- Ruby Bridges
- Freedom Rides
- 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing
- Bloody Sunday
- Black Voter Registration