This excerpt represents the start of the Montgomery bus boycotts. It most likely represents what happened to Rosa Parks, which was a big factor in the boycotts. The bus boycotts inspired the black community and led to many other protests, contributing to the abolishment of the racist Jim Crow laws. This event was followed by the uprising of Martin Luther King Jr., who was a pastor at a Montgomery church. The bus boycotts were very successful and about 90 percent of the black community stayed off busses the day of Rosa Parks trial.

McClurken, Jeff. “Long Walk Home.” University of Mary Washington, November 12, 2024.

Block, Sharon, Ruth M. Alexander, Mary Beth Norton. Major Problems in American Women's History. Fifth Edition. New York: Cengage, 2014. 221.

This was true for the time. Many people would get pulled over for going just two miles over the speed limit if cops saw too many people of color in a car. It made it difficult for the people who helped with it, but the movement continued. The drivers would make excuses like Mrs. Thompson did at first in the movie. That they were just doing it so their maid had a ride to work, refusing to admit they wanted to support the boycott. The mayor even put out a statement during the boycotts asking white women to stop taking their maids to work and said they should stop hiring black maids till the boycott was over.

McClurken, Jeff. “Long Walk Home.” University of Mary Washington, November 12, 2024.

Block, Sharon, Ruth M. Alexander, Mary Beth Norton. Major Problems in American Women's History. Fifth Edition. New York: Cengage, 2014. 224.

This excerpt shows the context of the South during the 1950's. Black maids were the primary caregivers to the upper-class white people's children, and performed the household duties.

McClurken, Jeff. “Long Walk Home.” University of Mary Washington, November 12, 2024.

This last scene represented the unity between the white women willing to help, and the black community standing with their strength through God. Though this singing protest did not happen in real life, it showed the power held within these groups. They were willing to continue to fight against racism and use their faith as a shield to get through the rough times. The church united folks, black and white.

McClurken, Jeff. “Long Walk Home.” University of Mary Washington, November 12, 2024.

Black churches were a safe space for them at the time. It was a place for hope and activism. The movie represents the churches as meeting points for people who are able to help the cause. They also felt inspired as a community for change, which was accurate to real life. Martin Luther King Jr. was a reverend at his church and he was the biggest name in black rights.

McClurken, Jeff. “Long Walk Home.” University of Mary Washington, November 12, 2024.

This quote represents the torment the people of color had to face daily. When Odessa's daughter tried to ride the bus when two white boys verbally assaulted her and when her brother stepped in to defend her, he got beat up. He did not fight the white boys back, but stood there and let them hit him. He was acting in protest, that he would not give in to the violence the white boys caused regularly. The black cab driver who stepped in stated how he might get lynched for what he did. Lynching was a common hate crime/murder tactic used by racist white people (and commonly the KKK) to scare other black people.

McClurken, Jeff. “Long Walk Home.” University of Mary Washington, November 12, 2024.

This excerpt shows that even those who believe their actions are not racist, or not as racist as others, were still racist and belittling someone of a different skin color. Norman rebutted Tunker's response with "It's not like she was parading her own children around the park" insinuating that if a black person was with her children in the park and not his white child, then it would be wrong.

McClurken, Jeff. “Long Walk Home.” University of Mary Washington, November 12, 2024.

This quote insinuates that whites in the South had a notion that black people were lazy, when they did the same, if not more, work than the white people did. Racism was in all of the United States, but especially in the South. Many people, like the bus driver in the annotation above, believed the South was an exception to the rules. This shows how racism was deemed a normal experience for people of color in the South, and many white people made it impossible for people of color to stand up for themselves.

McClurken, Jeff. “Long Walk Home.” University of Mary Washington, November 12, 2024.

Segregation was still prevalent during this time and racism was, unfortunately, normalized. Places like restaurants, busses, schools, bathrooms, and in this case, parks, were separated by race. Though Odessa tried to explain that she was there for the white children, the cop did not care. Many people of color experienced scrutiny like this, When Thomas Lewis gave his statement in court, he testified that he was in the back of the bus when traveling on the interstate bus and the bus driver told him to move due to "too much mixing" in the back. He stated that it was illegal for the bus driver to demand him to move because the Supreme Court ruled interstate bus segregation illegal. Though he tried to defend himself, he was removed by the police anyway. Thomas believed they acted that way because they thought the rule did not include the South.

McClurken, Jeff. “Long Walk Home.” University of Mary Washington, November 12, 2024.

History Matters. “Supreme Court Decisions Just Are Not Enough: The Need for Federal Legislation to Desegregate the South.” Accessed December 12, 2024. https://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6330

Though the romance between Pocahontas and John Smith never happened, Pocahontas might have influenced the fate of John Smith. According to the Park Service, a theory is Pocahontas placed her head upon his when the Chief was about to bash his head open, but this has been debated for years.

McClurken, Jeff. “Pocahontas.” University of Mary Washington, September 3rd, 2024.

“Pocahontas: Her Life and Legend.” National Park Service, September 4, 2022. https://www.nps.gov/jame/learn/historyculture/pocahontas-her-life-and-legend.htm

This line shows the English's lack of empathy for anyone or anything due to the selfish drive to get rich. They believed that because they came there they are now the rulers of the land and the Natives are just uncivilized savages, which is far from the truth.

McClurken, Jeff. “Pocahontas.” University of Mary Washington, September 3rd, 2024.

When John asked Pocahontas about the gold, as shown in these lines, she thought he was talking about corn. Native Americans did not see gold as something of value, they valued resources like crops and animal skins. They lived by what they needed, not what they wanted. The British were after what they wanted, a material that was given value, not inherently valuable.

McClurken, Jeff. “Pocahontas.” University of Mary Washington, September 3rd, 2024.

These lines further explore the conceptions the British people had about Natives. The British believed that their way of life was superior. Though they took it upon themselves to rob and fight the natives because of the natives' skilled way of the land. They had captivated the land, and the British just replied on trade, occasionally, and taking it from them. Yet, they thought their way of life was more "civilized".

McClurken, Jeff. “Pocahontas.” University of Mary Washington, September 3rd, 2024.

This excerpt of the script shows the context in which Natives have knowledge of the land and how to benefit from it. Unlike the Natives, the British did not understand how to captivate the potentials of the land. They assumed the land would already be rich in nutrients, and didn't prepare to be laborers.

McClurken, Jeff. “Pocahontas.” University of Mary Washington, September 3rd, 2024.

This excerpt from the script portrays the English view on Native Americans during this time. They referred to them as "savages" and treated them with no respect. Native Americans were seen as an obstacle to the "get rich quick" goal they were pursuing.

McClurken, Jeff. “Pocahontas.” University of Mary Washington, September 3rd, 2024.

This excerpt of the script further proves the point that the most important goal the British had was to get rich and claim their riches in Britain. Colonizing wasn't necessarily a goal at first.

McClurken, Jeff. “Pocahontas.” University of Mary Washington, September 3rd, 2024.

When the English arrived, the Native Americans were already fighting amongst themselves. They understood the land and its advantages and disadvantages, unlike the British.

McClurken, Jeff. “Pocahontas.” University of Mary Washington, September 3rd, 2024.

The filmmakers tried to portray the ideals the British had when setting sail to the Americas. The Script indicates the Virginia Company believed the land would be filled with gold and rich with valuable resources, yet this was far from the truth.

McClurken, Jeff. “Pocahontas.” University of Mary Washington, September 3rd, 2024.