back of the bus
The back of the bus
“ The back of the bus” was written by Mary Mebane. Mary earned a P.h.D from University of North Carolina, became a English professor. According to Mebane she was part of the last generation born into a world of total segregation. Mary wrote this essay because she “ wanted to show what it was like to live under legal segregation before the civil rights Act of 1964” (Mebane).
These laws were set in place to govern the movements of all black people. If these laws were violated you would be put in jail or white mobs would be en-charge to set laws in place. The Southern town was moving quickly in the morning and the whites were coming to work. Mary and her sister Ester walked long miles to reach the bus stop, took this bus to head over across white downtown for music lessons. The three main areas on these buses were black's in the back, whites in the front and “ No-man's-land “ where whites would sit or blacks would. Mary and Ester go to the bus and sat at the back facing each other. That Saturday morning a lot of people were out reaching for the bus. A white man got on the bus, saw a empty seat in the black section and sat down. More people began to get on the bus at that point Mary was afraid because there was a black man sitting in the No-man's land section. Another white man go on and he wouldn’t sit the black man sitting wouldn’t get up either. The bus driver notice asked the white man to step back. “ these are the niggers seats “ said a women in rage. Even thought the driver threaten to take the man to the police station nothing happened there was no movement. The bus driver was driving fast and everyone was anxious to get off. The next stop was Main St, Mary and Ester got off. Mary had never been on a bus where black's had to get up and give up their seat to a white person. Therefore Mary also feared of having to give up her own seat. The bus in the black neighborhood were some form of relief to all blacks, no one
“ The back of the bus” was written by Mary Mebane. Mary earned a P.h.D from University of North Carolina, became a English professor. According to Mebane she was part of the last generation born into a world of total segregation. Mary wrote this essay because she “ wanted to show what it was like to live under legal segregation before the civil rights Act of 1964” (Mebane).
These laws were set in place to govern the movements of all black people. If these laws were violated you would be put in jail or white mobs would be en-charge to set laws in place. The Southern town was moving quickly in the morning and the whites were coming to work. Mary and her sister Ester walked long miles to reach the bus stop, took this bus to head over across white downtown for music lessons. The three main areas on these buses were black's in the back, whites in the front and “ No-man's-land “ where whites would sit or blacks would. Mary and Ester go to the bus and sat at the back facing each other. That Saturday morning a lot of people were out reaching for the bus. A white man got on the bus, saw a empty seat in the black section and sat down. More people began to get on the bus at that point Mary was afraid because there was a black man sitting in the No-man's land section. Another white man go on and he wouldn’t sit the black man sitting wouldn’t get up either. The bus driver notice asked the white man to step back. “ these are the niggers seats “ said a women in rage. Even thought the driver threaten to take the man to the police station nothing happened there was no movement. The bus driver was driving fast and everyone was anxious to get off. The next stop was Main St, Mary and Ester got off. Mary had never been on a bus where black's had to get up and give up their seat to a white person. Therefore Mary also feared of having to give up her own seat. The bus in the black neighborhood were some form of relief to all blacks, no one