Some of the 900 students taking part in the Children's Crusade in Birmingham, Alabama, in May 1963 were held in a makeshift jail when the police turned a sports stadium into a holding pen. (Image courtesy of Bob Adelman and Magnum Photos.)
Watch “Eyes on the Prize: No Easy Walk” on Birmingham and the Children’s Crusade. Have students address the following questions in small groups or in their journals.
1. Why did the SCLC and ACMHR make the decision to use children in the campaign?
2. Why were parents discouraged from posting bail for their children?
3. What do you think King meant when he stated that the demonstrations allowed children to develop “a sense of their own stake in freedom and justice”?
4. How might you have responded to the call to participate in the demonstrations?
5. What sacrifices would you be willing to make for a cause you care about? Be specific.
Materials/Links
- PBS Documentary “Eyes on the Prize: No Easy Walk”
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