Page 56 - @ccess 2 Reader´s Book

ROSA PARKS: MY STORY

One evening in early December 1955, I was filled up
sitting in the front seat of the colored section give up
push around
of a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. The white give in
people were sitting in the white section. More Glossary on
pages 91-94
white people got on, and they filled up all the
seats in the white section. When that happened,
we black people were supposed to give up our
seats to the whites. But I didn’t move. The white
driver said, “Let me have those front seats.” I didn’t
get up. I was tired of giving in to white people.

“I’m going to have you arrested,” the driver said.

“You may do that,” I answered.

Two white policemen came. I asked one of them,
“Why do you all push us around?”

He answered, “I don’t know, but the law is the
law and you’re under arrest.” custom (n.):
costumbre

For half of my life there were laws and customs in
the South that kept African Americans segregated
from Caucasians and allowed white people to
treat black people without any respect. I never
thought this was fair, and from the time I was
a child, I tried to protest against disrespectful
treatment. But it was very hard to do anything
about segregation and racism when white people
had the power of the law behind them.
fair (adj.):
justo

Reader's Book 55