Mrs. Parks was originally arrested for violating a city segregation ordinance but the charge was later changed to read "a violation of a state law, which gives bus drivers the power to assign and reassign seating." Why would prosecutors wish to change the charge?

Implicit or explicit prohibitions on city ordinance power is the correct answer.  

State statutes and constitutions are in charge of regulating the power of a city to create ordinances. By doing so, they prevent cities from creating laws that contradict the state law. In other words, implicit or explicit prohibitions on city ordinance power is the way found to limit city power.

Explanation:

Activity 3: Teaching Tolerance through the Bus Boycotts

Using the website linked on our class page for activity 3, answer the following questions on a separate piece of paper

ACTIVITY 2: Montgomery City Code Document

The Montgomery City Code outlines the law as it stood in 1955 and was cited by prosecutors as the reason Rosa Parks

broke the law. Read the code and answer the following questions:

 Why was separation of the races required (Section 10)?

 Was it hypocritical that the city code allowed "Negro nurses" to sit in the "white section" of the bus if they were

attending white people who needed their care (Section 10)?

 How was it that Rosa Parks was arrested on charges of non-compliance of obeying the orders of a bus driver

(Section 11)?

 If city codes such as this one existed today, how would you go about changing them?

 On public transportation where you live, does separation of people occur without there being a written law? Do

invisible lines and social boundaries exist? If so, what are they and why do they exist?

 Re-write the city code to comply with the 1956 Supreme Court ruling on bus segregation. How would Sections 10

and 11 be written to conform to the law?

ACTIVITY 3: "Bus Boycott Conference Fails to Find Solution" Article

Dr. King met with bus line officials for four hours in an attempt to find common ground. Yet, as reported in this December,

1955 article bus line officials remained firm in their stance to follow the city code.

 Why would Dr. King's proposal of "first come, first served" on bus seating seem so radical in 1955 Alabama?

 Dr. King commented that the group was not trying to change the segregation laws. Why would he take this

position?

 Why would the bus company not hire black drivers?

Jack Crenshaw, legal counsel for the bus line, commented, "We do not contemplate and have no intentions of hiring Negro

drivers. The time is not right in Montgomery, but who can say what will happen in 10 years."

 Why did he believe the time was not right in Montgomery?

 Why did a member of the bus boycott delegation take issue with him by replying, "We don't mean 10 years, we

mean this year"?

Explanation:

the   square   deal   was   a   program   where   the   government gave any one   a fair   chance   to succeed