"Walking Tall" Comprehension Questions

Why were some schools still segregated in 1960 even though the Supreme Court had ruled that segregation was unconstitutional in 1954?

• Under law, black children could not attend the same public schools as white children.
• Many Southern cities were not following the court’s ruling.
• There was not enough space for black children to attend white schools.
• There was not enough money for schools to implement the law.

What does the author describe in the beginning of the passage?

• the Little Rock Nine and the problems they had when trying to attend a white high school
• how President Eisenhower was forced to send U.S. troops to protect African-American students
• how Ruby Bridges became one of the first African Americans to attend a white elementary school
• the relationship between Ruby Bridges and her first teacher, Barbara Henry

What is this passage mostly about?

• a group of African-American high school students called the Little Rock Nine
• the people who protested against desegregated schools in the South
• difficulties faced by African Americans during the desegregation of schools
• the efforts of civil rights workers to improve life for African Americans

Read the following sentence: “With the marshals surrounding her, the 6-year-old walked into the school and into history books.” What does the author suggest by saying that Ruby Bridges “walked... into history books”?

• She became part of American history by being the first black at an all-white school.
• She had difficulty finding the rooms in this new and unfamiliar school.
• She became very unpopular for changing the way the school operated.
• She immediately began studying history.

Many people did not want Ruby Bridges to attend William Frantz Public School. What evidence from the passage best supports this conclusion?

• Ruby Bridges spent her first day of school inside the principal’s office.
• Ruby Bridges was the only student in Mrs. Henry’s class for her first year at school.
• Ruby Bridges was one of the first African Americans to attend a white elementary school.
• A screaming mob was protesting outside the school when Ruby arrived.