By Herbert Kohl - She Would Not Be Moved: How We Tell the Story of Rosa Parks And t (2005-09-30) [Hardcover]

by Herbert R. Kohl

The prizewinning educator's brilliant meditation on the misleading way generations of children have been taught the story of Rosa Parks.

One day Rosa was tired. She sat in the front. The bus driver told her to move. She did not. He called the police. Rosa was put in jail. —from an American elementary school textbook

When National Book Award winner and bestselling author Herbert Kohl first published a reflection on how the story of Rosa Parks and the Montgomery bus boycott is distorted when taught to children, Vivian Paley wrote, "Kohl urges us to look beneath our smug certainties and come closer and closer to the truth."

Now, in celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of that famous moment in the history of the civil rights movement, Kohl has expanded and updated his original discussion. Beginning with a new introduction by Marian Wright Edelman, She Would Not Be Moved also includes a contribution by Cynthia Brown on Septima Clark, Virginia Durr, and Rosa Parks.

The book also includes a teacher's guide explaining how to evaluate textbooks written for young people, an extensive resource guide to educational materials about Rosa Parks and the civil rights movement, and a dozen black-and-white photographs.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction, Race, Academic, United States, Education

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Educator best known for his advocacy of progressive alternative education and as the author of more than thirty books on education. He founded the 1960s Open School movement and is credited with coining the term "open classroom."

Reviews

[Francine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for teachers. It gives a more accurate account of Rosa Parks and the Montgomery bus boycott. Gone is the weary, uneducated Mrs. Parks and the intelligent, hard working activist appears. The Montgomery bus boycott did not happen overnight, it had been planned for a very long time. Why do we not learn the truth in school? Will the idea that racism and prejudice exist and oppress people going to rile up the students? Does the organization and mobilization of the oppressed to protest injustice frighten society?

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're a teacher, you should make kids read this...it topples the myth that Parks just one day randomly decided to be the poster child of the civil rights movement....that in fact she herself was a leader in grassroots movement...

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't actually remember why or when I picked this book, but it's definitely one that makes me wish I was still in the classroom! Kohl explores the story of Rosa Parks, putting together the typical narrative presented in children's books and textbooks and then showing all the ways in which it is misleading, factually inaccurate, and essentially racist. Even better though, he then uses the truth to propose a better, more realistic way to tell the story in language that is still kid-friendly. Although the educational resources and suggestions that then follow are not quite as robust as I'd like them to be (lots of great ideas, but few specifics), this book should be required reading for anyone who is going to teach social science at any level as a reminder to think critically about the truth and how easily it can be distorted depending upon who controls the narrative. At younger levels, this means presenting more accurate material and not shying away from hard truths; at older levels, it can actually become part of the course of study to identify the storyteller and potential competing interests. More books like this about more white-washed, child-ized biographies would only be positive.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rosa Parks was a civil rights leader in the Black community of Montgomery, and not, as I "learned" in school, just some random gray-haired, seamstress too tired to move to the back of the bus when ordered to do so by the bus driver. Her actions on the bus that day were simply the perfectly timed opening call toward a larger action. I did not know that the Black citizens of Montgomery (who were the predominate users of the bus system) refused to ride the city buses for OVER ONE YEAR before they finally prevailed in integrating the system. I did not realize when I chose the book that it is a primer for how to teach the TRUE story of Rosa Parks to children. There is probably a more definitive book out there about the hero Rosa Parks and the heroic actions of the Black people in Montgomery. But if you teach children, or have children, this book will help you.

[Jacob Crews · Rating 5 out of 5]

While this is a must-read for all educators of American and Alabama history, readers of all ages can use this as a gateway to unlearning the white washed history of the Civil Rights Movement and the Montgomery, Alabama Bus Boycotts of 1955.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting. It's unfortunate that there are so many myths about Rosa Parks even in educational materials!

[Hannah Michauville · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting perspective on the implications of altering a story to simplify it for children or make the themes less harsh. Worth a read for any teacher.

[Katherine Lavelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

My public library had this book in their Black History month display. it's a short book but is really interesting in how we talk about Rosa Parks with kids.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I needed this book. I try to be as open to new information as I possibly can and it is extremely important to me to listen to those who know more than me when it comes to areas where I have capital P privilege. This book discusses the common narrative children (including myself when I was one) are taught about Rosa Parks and how that contrasts with the actual woman and actual story. The author discusses why even books meant to discuss the civil rights movement are often shaded to remove the most horrible parts of the racism that was (and is) systemic in the culture and the role white Americans had in perpetuating different angles of it. It is toned down ostensibly to protect children from harsh realities but in the process the actual story is completely lost and for most children (again, myself included) it is never actually told properly even when childhood is outgrown.

I am so glad I picked up this book and will be using it as a jumping of point to further dig into my own knowledge and fill in gaps with more than just "white washed" accounts of the civil rights movement and the ongoing race divisions and activism. I will also be framing the narrative for my own children in a completely different way than I would have previously, with the hope we can all learn and grow to be allies and not part of the problem.

[Hellokitty · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book that I read was "The Rosa Parks Story" which was written by Herbert Kohl who renhanced the version from New York Times best selling review. The book explained about the struggles of Rosa Parks and the bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama. The book was originally published in 2005 right before she died the New York Times best selling review stated that the book can enhance a young readers knowledge of the civil rights movement. In the introduction to the book Cynthia Brown describe the struggles of the Montgomery Bus boycott and the civil rights movement. This book would be great for young readers who is willing to know more about the civil rights movement. The author's purpose in writing this book was to inform the reader on facts that happened many years ago that caused the movement and what blacks went through back in those days. Some strengths and weaknesses of the book is that the author did inform the reader but could have described more in depth about the situation How did the author feel towards the book? Did the author think that the struggles they faced were harsh?

[Zenobia]

This book is intended to help teachers teach the history of Rosa Parks and the Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott. However, it is very informative for non-teachers, specifically community leaders, by breaking down all the players of the boycott and could possibly give current community leaders so inspiration.

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to read this for my English class and for what it is, it was pretty good. The author does a good job of getting you on his side and it was really educational. I would only recommend this if you want to know more about Rosa Parks and her role in the Montgomery Bus Boycotts. It's a quick read.

[Crystal · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a very brief "true story" of the Rosa Parks story and the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The short answer is that she was a woman who acted with intelligence and moral conviction. Rather than being just tired one day, she had already protested other racial injustices. The African American community already had a plan in place for the bus boycott. I did NOT know that she had not been sitting in the whites only section when she was asked to move, but had to give up her seat in the "colored" section to a white person when the bus filled up. Maybe a minor detail but showed the complete injustice and insanity of those times. Though a short book, it made the same point over and over. Enough already. I would have liked to learn more about Rosa Parks as a person.