Project Questions

1. Why did the black protestors start with such a relatively minor, even trivial, set of requests, and how did those relatively restricted grievances grow into a full-fledged assault on the system of segregation?
2. Discussions of the civil rights movement often focus on the perspective of the black male leadership; however, this overlooks the importance of women and “ordinary people” in the success of the civil rights movement. Using the documents in this unit, compare and contrast the roles and motivations of women and “ordinary” people in Montgomery to those of the selected charismatic leaders of the movement.
3. Central Question: What does the successful organization of African Americans in Montgomery, Alabama, reveal about the nature of leadership and the work of ordinary people in social movements?