Johnson - Civil Rights: Standing Up by Sitting In

Published in 2018 by The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.

29 East 21st Street, New York, NY 10010

Copyright 2018 by The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer.

Standing Up by Sitting In: A Play by Ruth Spencer Johnson from Appleseeds Magazine (February 2008).

All articles by Carus Publishing Company. Reproduced with permission.

All Cricket Media material is copyrighted by Carus Publishing Company, d/b/a Cricket Media, and/or various authors and illustrators. Any commercial use or distribution of material without permission is strictly prohibited. Please visit http://www.cricketmedia.com/info/licensing2 for licensing and http://www.cricketmedia.com for subscriptions.

Book Design: Tanya Dellaccio

Editor: Joanne Randolph

ISBN:9781538371978

6-pack ISBN: 9781538371985

Photo Credits: Cover, pp.5,19 Bettmann/Getty Images;p. 7 Oklahoma Historical Society/Archive Photos/Getty Images; p. 9 Howard Sochurek/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images; p. 17 Shel Hershorn/Archive Photos/ Getty Images; p. 21 PhotoQuest/Archive Photos/Getty Images.

Manufactured in the United States of America

CPSIA Compliance Information: Batch #WS18RC: For Further Information contact Rosen Publishing, New York, New York at 1-800-237-9932

CONTENTS

CHARACTERS

JOSEPH, DAVID, AND LINDA

BLACK HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

FRANK

WHITE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT

NARRATOR

WHITE WAITRESS

WHITE CUSTOMER

POLICE OFFICER

STANDING UP BY SITTING IN

JUNE 1960

Three black high school students, dressed in their best clothes, stand outside a store in a South Carolina town. They are gathering courage to begin a sit-in at the store lunch counter, which serves only white people.

NARRATOR:Beginning in 1960, black students started sit-ins to protest against unfair segregation laws. At sit-ins, students sat at lunch counters for hours, even though the waitresses would not serve blacks. Bystanders often harassed, or bothered, the protesters by hitting them and yelling insults. Many students were arrested for breaking segregation laws.

JOSEPH:[to his friends] We are just going to sit at the counter and politely order something to eat. When they refuse to serve us, we will sit there until the store closes.

DAVID:I hope our sit-in will be peaceful, not like that one in Tennessee last week.

LINDA:I heard that bystanders there kicked the protesters and squirted ketchup on their heads.

JOSEPH:No matter what happens, well stay cool, just like we practiced in our nonviolence training.

NARRATOR:The students promised each other they would remain nonviolent and not fight or use ugly words, even if they were attacked or jailed. They believed their protests would have more power if they reacted to anger and hatred with peace and love. This idea was strongly promoted by civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

LINDA:My parents are terrified I might get hurt or arrested, but I told them it would be an honor to go to jail for this cause.

DAVID:[nods] Its up to us kids to push the movement forward. Our parents generation has made some progress with boycotts, but things are moving too slowly. Things need to change now. Segregation isnt fair, and we need to help people see that if we want it to end.

(Frank rushes up to the group. He has been part of the students nonviolence training)

FRANK:Hey there! I heard youre going to have a sit-in. I want to join you!

CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS AT ATLANTA UNIVERSITY

(The students enter the store. There are racks of clothing for sale. Along the back wall is a lunch counter with stools. A waitress serves a plate to a white customer who is sitting at the counter. The students walk to the back and sit quietly at the counter.)

NARRATOR:The waitress has been afraid a sit-in might happen at her lunch counter. She does not want to serve the students. Even if she thinks segregation is unfair, her boss could fire her for serving blacks in his store. And the possibility of violence, against herself or the students, scares her.

DAVID:Id like to order lunch, 16 please.

WAITRESS:This counter is for whites only. You know that. Youd better leave before theres trouble.

CUSTOMER:[angrily] If you know whats good for you, youll get out of here right now.

LINDA:[to waitress] Your store is happy to take my money when I buy a dress. Why wont you take my money at the lunch counter?

WAITRESS:Its just the way things are around here.

FRANK:Well, we say its time for a change!

JOSEPH:The color of our skin shouldnt determine where we can sit.

CUSTOMER:[to Frank] Now why are you hanging out with them?

FRANK:These guys are my friends. I cant just stand by and watch while you treat them like second-class citizens. Judging people by the color of their skin is wrong and I am not going to stand for it anymore. You shouldnt either.

JOSEPH:This sit-in is our way of standing up for whats right.

CUSTOMER:[with increasing anger] Im warning youIm going to call the police. Theyll put you all in jail where you belong!

DAVID:If they arrest us, more of our friends will come. This movement cant be stopped so you may as well accept it.

CUSTOMER:[angry] You dont belong here! Youre ruining the lunch of decent, white people who work hard for their dime and deserve an honest lunch in peace.

CUSTOMER:[throws a handful of his lunch at the group; other customers join in] Theres your dignity. Now get out of here, or I really am calling the police! [with the food-throwing, the waitress is already on the phone hoping to prevent a further disturbance.]

(The group continues to sit at the counter with the food dripping off of them, determined to be served food as equals with the white customers. A crowd has gathered. Some take part in jeering and yelling at the students. Some just watch silently, and a few even go to join the students at the counter.