Name:__Ima Greatstudent______Ms. York

My Activist’s Name:_Rosa Parks______

What is the date today? What significance does this date have in relation to my life? To the Civil Rights Movement?
February 4, 1923, I am 10 years old today. I am learning about the history of racism and violence due to segregation and the Jim Crow laws.
What happened today? How is today different than every other day?
My family had a big birthday party for me even though I know my parents can’t afford all of the extras we had such as beans with ham hocks and my favorite, black-eyed peas and mustard greens. Mama even fixed a pound cake using all of the eggs from the chickens today. Uncle Jonah and Auntie Myrna came all the way from Polk County and brought all of my cousins. Uncle bought the brand new record by Bessie Smith called “Empress of the Blues”. He said he brought it just for me because it is my birthday but I know he brought it for everyone to listen to. We laughed and danced and sung. It was a really fine day except for one thing that happened. Some white men rode by on horses and called my uncle and pa out to the road. I could tell that Mama and Auntie were scared and when pa came back he looked scared too. Uncle Jonah was angry and they went off to talk for almost an hour. When they came back we continued with the party and all the fun.
How do I feel about what happened to me today? Has it been a good day or a bad day? Why or why not?
We were having so much fun and it was a really good day until those men came by. I got really scared and could see that mama and the older kids were frightened but they tried not to show it. I tried not to show it either so as not to frighten the younger kids. All in all it was a good day except for being so scared.
Has today changed me in any way? Has it changed my life? What effects will today have on me and my life? Is there anything that I can put in a scrapbook to remember today?
I’ve decide that I want to be a famous singer like Bessie Smith. Uncle Jonah says that she is the most famous black woman alive. It is good to know that black people can be famous singers. There aren’t any around here, just a lot of white folks that want to spoil everything good hat happens to black folks.