I really enjoyed the Jo Ann Gibson Robinson reading. Like pretty much everyone else, I was unaware of her role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott. I'm glad we got to read another side of the story and really see where the origin of the movement came from. The more I think about it though, the more in annoys me that people don't know this part of the story and she is not more well known for her role in it, like Rosa Parks is. It says in the beginning of the reading that the editor and her met in April 1984 and I assume the book was published shortly after. So there had been over 20 years for this story to popularize, yet still not many people know about it.
My high school prided itself on diversity and learning about human rights all over the world so we do not repeat the same mistakes we have. We even had an entire year long interdisciplinary study on the 60's and the Vietnam Era, with a large portion of it spent on civil rights. Therefore, I'm actually kind of surprised I didn't learn about Robinson's story earlier.
I wish I had learned about her story earlier and I wish it was more popular so other people know her story too. Of course, what we learn about Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. is extremely important, but I think it is also equally important to know the true origin of the movement and honor the people who were behind the scenes and doing extremely important work.
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You're right about it being important to honor the people behind the scenes who are not typically recognized for what they've done. Although I would admit that it'd be too hard to give recognition to all the people who have contributed to a significant movement, since everybody in their own way plays an important role. To expand on the discussion in class about what makes a movement, a movement just wouldn't be a movement without the support of each of its individuals. It also wouldn't be one without a leader in the forefront to guide and encourage it.
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