Rosa Parks

1. Why is bus segregation even a big deal? Who cares who sits in the different parts of the bus? Why does this matter at all?

Bus segregation does matter because it doesn't matter where anyone sits on the bus, but what is affected is the esteem of the people being separated. To have a special spot for only the blacks lowers the importance or value of the blacks, and makes them feel worthless and not "up to the same level" as the whites. I can connect this idea to the book "To Be A Slave", where the slaveowners had ingrained in the slaves' minds that they'd need to serve their master in order to eventually reach up to their level. 

2. Put yourself in Rosa Parks’s shoes: You’re going home from work. You have a family. A small incident arises. What do you honestly do? How far would you go? (Jail? Pay a fine? Lose your life? Explain your limits.)

If I were to put myself in Rosa Parks's shoes, I would probably do the opposite of what she did. If I had a family, work, and a normal life, I would (like many) choose the safer option to pay a fine and end the deal. I would probably not question the unjust system and blindly follow what I'm told so I can feel secure and keep my family and job safe. It's easy to analyse her courageous action, but very hard to do the same. 

3. Parks’ words are very deliberate. She says, “You may do that.” What do you think about the wording of her statement?

She said "you may do that" deliberately because she didn't want to seem like she was being forced. The "you may" sounds like she is giving them permission, rather than them forcing her into arresting her. Another thing we can interpret is that she shows how she is at a higher level in character than the driver. She doesn't argue or act aggressively like some may if they were told they'd get arrested. This shows how strong Rosa Parks was in her beliefs and that she was willing to accept whatever consequences that followed.