Page 94 - Historical Fiction.pdf
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a little faster, careful        upcoming year. The             thought, ?they must

                        not to start running.           integration was                have done something
                        You can feel tears start        successful despite the         bad? or even things like
                        to stream down your             daily threats they             ?they deserved it?. The

                        face. You finally make it       received, some                 Ku Klux Klan (KKK),
                        to school and sit down,         physical. Since this           police officers, and

                        trying to make the rest         event, the school              even commoners were
                        of the day seem                 system in Little Rock,         a major threat to
                        normal. You talk to             Arkansas has changed           African American

                        your African American           drastically.                   people. African
                        peers and teachers,                                            American people

                        and that seems to calm                                         couldn?t stand up for
                                                        Segregation in
                        you down.                                                      themselves without
                                                        the South                      being beaten, labeled,

                          Today, our schools              Segregation was very         or arrested. This
                        are so diverse. Kids of         common in the south.           segregation was no

                        all colors,                     People of color                different in schools.
                        backgrounds, and                couldn?t vote, drink out

                        more, come to school            of the same water              Separate, But
                        together, play                  fountain, use the same         Equal
 Whi t e  or   Bl ack:   How t he school   together, and work   bathroom, or even eat    The saying that people

 syst em has changed
                        together. The year
                                                        in the same
 since t he t ime of    1957 was very different         restaurants as whites.         often used was
                                                                                       ?Separate, but equal?,
                        from what it is today.
 When  t her e?s  no    Kids of different races         Many people thought            however, this was not
 segregat ion and how
                                                        this was unfair, but
 it  st ill lingers.
                                                                                       the case. They were
                        couldn?t eat in the
                        same places, grocery            were too scared to             separate, but not
                                                        stand up for
 i n  bet ween          shop, play together, or         themselves. If they did        American kids often
                                                                                       equal. The African
                        even drink out of the
                                                        they would have the
                        same water fountain. It         risk of being beat up,         had the ?hand me
   You spring out of bed, ready for   they arrive, begin your walk to   not to make direct eye contact or   was no different for   shunned, and police   downs?, meaning they

 the first day of school. You put on   school. On you way you giggle,   get in the white people?s way. They   school, of course. In   brutality wasn?t   got the old books and
 the cute outfit you picked out the   laugh, and talk about how nervous   look at you, disgusted, annoyed,   1957 nine African   thought of police   never had updates to
 night before, brush your hair, your   you are. However, this all stops   and sickened by your presence. A   American students   brutality as it is now. If   their schools. Schools

 teeth, and run downstairs to eat   when you reach the white part of   highschool boy stands in front of   were chosen to   an African American   were thought to be
 breakfast. After breakfast, you wait   town. You suddenly become more   you and calls you a name, laughs,   integrate an all white   was harmed by the   segregated forever, as

 for your friends outside and when   aware of your surroundings, careful   then walks away. You start walking   high school in the   police people often   many people wanted.
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