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The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 Introduction
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The Watsons Go to
Birmingham - 1963 Introduction
What was happening in the year 1963?
The Year 1963
Average Cost of new house: $12,650.00
Average Income per year: $5,807.00
Gas per Gallon: 29 cents
Average Cost of a new car: $3,233.00
Loaf of bread: 22 cents
Bedroom Air Conditioner: $149.95
Toys and Fashion
Events
Pop Culture
In 1963 . . .
- State Mutual Life Insurance invented the Smiley Face found on anything and everything around the world including T Shirts , it's popularity was at it's peak in the 1960's.
- The Beatles release their first album Please Please Me.
- The first episode of the BBC television series Doctor Who is broadcast.
- Bob Dylan walks off the Ed Sullivan show.
- The Beatles release "I Want To Hold Your Hand"/"I Saw Her Standing There" and "Meet the Beatles" which is the beginning of "Beatlemania".
- The Beatles release "She Loves You" in UK which goes to Number 1 for 4 weeks August 23rd.
Pop Culture
Events
- Zip codes are implemented
- Martin Luther King, Jr. delivers his "I have a dream" speech
- Members of Ku Klux Klan dynamite Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama
- President John F Kennedy assassinated
What was the civil rights movement?
The Civil Rights Movement
- Took place during the 1950s and 1960s
- Civil rights are the foundation of a free society - the right to vote and equal treatment under law.
- Black women, men, and children, among other people, battled the unjust/unfair society in court cases, pickets, peaceful protests, speeches, etc.
- Jim Crow laws kept black and white people segregated - meaning they had to sit in separate places on the bus, in restaurants,
and at school.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. ... Martin Luther King Jr. was a Baptist minister and social activist who led the civil rights movement in the United States from the mid-1950s until his assassination in 1968.
Watch the video below of Kid President explaining who Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was:
Martin Luther King Jr.
Flint, Michigan
The Watsons Go to Birmingham takes place in Flint, Michigan. This is where the main characters Danny, Wilona, Byron, Kenny, and Joetta Watson live.
Flint, Michigan
Flint, Michigan
Pictures of Flint, Michigan
Above are photos from Flint, Michigan in 1963.
Above is a current photo of Flint, Michigan.
The Birmingham Church Bombing
In The Watson's Go to Birmingham novel, the family travels to Birmingham Alabama. During their stay, a church bombing occurs. Even though The Watsons Go to Birmingham is a fictional story, the events are based on true happenings.
Here are the facts of the Birmingham church bombing:
- Occurred on September 15, 1963
- A bomb exploded before Sunday morning services at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama.
- 4 young girls were killed and many others were injured.
Church Bombing
Did you know? By 1963, homemade bombs set off in Birmingham's black homes and churches were such common occurrences that the city had earned the nickname "Bombingham."
Birmingham Church Bombing Video
Video
Christopher Paul Curtis
About the Author
Christopher Paul Curtis is the author of the book, The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963.
Born - May 10, 1953 (still living)
He also wrote Bud, Not Buddy and The Mighty Miss Malone.
Interview with Christopher Paul Curtis
Watch the 3 videos below. Make sure you are filling in your answer guide as you finish this activity.