A Story of the South
By StudySync
Literary Nonfiction, 2015

1. James Roberson’s mother wanted to leave the South because she knew that it was not a good place to
raise a young, black boy. She could not bear the racial hostility so prevalent in the 1950s. She moved
to Ohio where James was judged by his southern accent rather than his skin color. The kids nicknamed
him “Alabama” because of his accent. They respected him because he was a good student.
Unfortunately, James and his family had to return to the South. James’ dad could not find a job in the
North.

2. On the trip, the train stopped in Decatur, Alabama. James, who was not accustomed to prejudice, got
off the train to get a snack. He innocently went into the station. Suddenly, a woman shouted at him,
“Get out of here!” James was stunned by this treatment. The woman did not even know him. She did
not know if he was an obedient child or a troublemaker. She judged him on the color of his skin.
Because he was black, he was not allowed to get a snack. James dashed back to the train. He told his
mother what had happened. She explained that, in the South, black people were segregated and
were not allowed to be in “all white” areas like the train station.

3. James quickly learned about the discrimination in his new home. Birmingham, Alabama, city buses were
segregated based on both city laws and the whim of the bus driver. Each bus had a green, wooden
board that fit on the back of bus seats. The board said, “Colored, do not sit beyond this board.” This
meant that, if the bus were full of black passengers and white people got on at the next stop, the
driver could move the green board to the back of the bus. When he did, the blacks sitting in front of
the board would have to give up their seats to the white people. An elderly black person might have
to surrender his seat to a healthy white child.

4. When James was a teenager, he and his friends, in rebellion against segregation, would take the
green board and move it to get more seats. They often threw it away. Sometimes, they would sit right
behind the bus driver. That was a dangerous place because the driver’s actions were not predictable.
Because the teens were breaking the law, anything might happen. The bus driver would insist that the
teens had to move. When they wouldn’t, he would get off the bus and call people whose job it was to
check the buses and arrest lawbreakers. When the driver got off the bus to call, James and his friends
would sneak off and disappear.

5. James was a member of Bethel Baptist Church, which was under the leadership of Reverend
Shuttlesworth. The church parsonage was bombed in December 1956. James lived nearby and the
terrifying explosion broke windows in his house. It even destroyed his mother’s beloved collection of
ceramic objects. The Reverend surprisingly escaped injury. Nonetheless, angry blacks gathered at the
scene, armed with shotguns and pistols. James listened in awe as the Reverend stood there, urging
people not to be violent. Right then and there, Reverend Shuttlesworth delivered a sermon on
nonviolence.


Think Questions
1) James’s story is mainly set in the South. How does this setting develop conflict?


How does this conflict impact James?


2) What details support your answer to number 1? Explain.


3) What details does the author use at the end of the story to create a worried tone or attitude? Explain.


4) What details in the text provide clues to confirm the definition of rebellion? Use details from the text
and refer back to the bellwork definitions if needed.


5) What does it mean to participate in nonviolent protest? Use details from the passage to support your
ideas.