Claudette Colvin Explains Her Role in the Civil Rights Movement

Compared to other segregation laws, why did the bus laws have more of an impact on black citizens?

• The buses for black citizens ran more infrequently than for white citizens.

• Black southerners were treated equally with white citizens in most other areas.

• The bus laws were the first American laws to create racial inequality.

• Black citizens depended on bus transportation as part of their daily lives.

Read the first sentence of the second paragraph. “But everything about riding a bus was humiliating for black passengers.” In this context, the word humiliating means causing a feeling of

• shame

• sadness

• pride

• exhaustion

Which piece of evidence best supports the idea that riding the bus was a humiliating experience?

• “Some of the segregation laws didn’t matter too much in the daily lives of black citizens”

• “Thousands of students also rode the buses to school from the time they were little”

• “All riders entered through the front door and dropped their dimes in the fare box near the driver."

• “blacks alone had to get back off the bus and reenter through the rear door."

What is the central idea of this passage?

• The neighborhoods of Montgomery, Alabama, were spread out, so transportation was an important city issue.

• Many of the black citizens of Montgomery were employed by white families and white business owners.

• Black students in Montgomery relied on the buses to transport them to and from school each day

• Black citizens of Montgomery depended on buses for transportation but were treated unequally as riders.

Read this sentence from the passage. “On top of that, she was from King Hill, a neighborhood she loved but others scorned.” In the context of this sentence, what does scorned mean?

• remembered fondly

• had forgotten about

• looked up to

• looked down on

What are two ways Claudette differed from other students that the author cites as reasons for her lack of popularity at Booker T. Washington High School?

• her looks

• her intelligence

• her family

• her neighborhood

• her attitude

Which sentence from the paragraph best expresses the central idea of the passage?

• “Many girls woke up early and spent hours applying hot combs to their hair, trying to straighten it to look, as some said, ‘almost white.’”

• “But Claudette’s hair wouldn’t stay straight or flat no matter how long she pressed it, and her skin was very dark."

• “On top of that, she was from King Hill, a neighborhood she loved but others scorned.

• “Suddenly alone, Claudette started life as a Yellow Jacket feeling she was at the very bottom of the social heap.”

How does the author structure the paragraph to support the central idea?

• He defines the concept of popularity and then explains its importance

• He summarizes Claudette’s experiences in high school in chronological order.

• He gives several details about Claudette and explains the impact of each.

• He presents several solutions to solve the problem posed by the central idea.

Read the first sentence from the second paragraph. “Rebellion was on my mind that day.” What does the word rebellion mean as it is used in this context?

• doing what is good and kind to others

• resisting authority or established rules

• working in harmony with others

• taking actions without thinking

What evidence from the passage provides the best context to define the word rebellion?

• "The motorman looked up in his mirror and said, ‘I need those seats.’”

• “All during February we’d been talking about people who had taken stands."

• “I had paid my fare the same as white passengers."

• . “I was thinking, Why should I have to get up just because a driver tells me to, or just because I’m black?”