The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963 Christopher Paul Curtis Introduction

Christopher Paul Curtis Born May 10 in Flint, Michigan Currently lives in Windsor, Ontario, Canada Hobbies are playing basketball, collecting old record albums, writing Previous jobs include factory worker, campaign worker, maintenance man, customer service representative, warehouse clerk, and purchasing clerk

Christopher Paul Curtis The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963 won a Newberry Honor and a Coretta Scott King Honor. Curtis and his wife, Kaysandra, have two children, Steven and Cydney. Click the picture for author’s interview.

The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963 Momma, Dad, Byron, Kenny, and Joetta are the “Weird Watsons” of Flint, Michigan. The middle child, 10-year-old Kenny Watson, tells the story about some humorous adventures involving his older brother, Byron, the school bully, and his little sister, Joetta. At the end of the school year, the Watsons set out on a trip to visit Grandma in Birmingham, Alabama. At the time of the family’s visit, the U.S. South is struggling with the issue of basic human rights or the civil rights movement. The Watson family experiences a tragic moment in American history, the bombing of the Sixteenth Avenue Baptist Church.

Civil Rights Movement African Americans often faced discrimination –Schooling –Housing and job opportunities –Interracial marriages prohibited –Separate facilities for African Americans and whites (Curtis )

Civil Rights Movement In most of the South, African Americans were not permitted to attend the same schools as whites or to use the same parks, playgrounds, swimming pools, hospitals, drinking fountains or bathrooms. (Curtis )

Civil Rights Movement Hotels, restaurants, and stores would not serve African Americans. The worst sections of public facilities were set aside for “Coloreds Only.” (Curtis )

Civil Rights Movement There were many heroic people who fought to end segregation and discrimination. –Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. –Rosa Parks

Civil Rights Movement On August 28, 1963, two hundred thousand people marched on Washington, D.C., to pressure Congress to pass the Civil Rights Bill, and heard Martin Luther King, Jr., deliver his “I have a dream” speech. (Curtis )

Civil Rights Movement Rosa Parks was a seamstress from Montgomery, Alabama who refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white man. Her action inspired the Montgomery bus boycott of (Curtis )

Civil Rights Movement Four girls were killed when a bomb went off during Sunday school at Sixteenth Avenue Baptist Church.

Civil Rights Movement President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Bill on July 2, 1964 and the Voting Rights Act on August 6, Congress passed the Fair Housing Act in (Curtis )

Bibliography Curtis, Christopher Paul. The Watsons Go to Birmingham New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, Print.