Question: On p. 78, Kelley argues that "poor people not only challenged the civil rights leaders, but their daily acts of resistance and survival substantially shaped the movement". How does he prove this argument?

Expert answer

1. Kelley argues that "poor people not only challenged the civil rights leaders, but their daily acts of resistance and survival substantially shaped the movement". He does this by providing evidence from the text where poor people are shown to be resisting and shaping the movement. Three specific examples include when poor people stood up to police brutality, when they organized their own protests and boycotts, and when they provided support to civil rights leaders.

On p. 78, Kelley discusses how poor people were often the ones who experienced the most police brutality. They would be targeted for minor offenses and then beaten or even killed by police officers. Poor people would also organize their own protests and boycotts against businesses that refused to serve them or treat them fairly. And finally, poor people would often provide support to civil rights leaders by attending their rallies and marches, or even housing them when they were in town.

Kelley's argument that "poor people not only challenged the civil rights leaders, but their daily acts of resistance and survival substantially shaped the movement" is supported by the evidence he provides from the text. Poor people were constantly resisting injustice and fighting for their rights, and in doing so, they played a major role in shaping the civil rights movement.