This film works as a good secondary source by depicting a common story that pulls on larger events that took place during the Montgomery bus boycotts. Although Odessa Cotter is a fictional character, her experiences reflected the trials and tribulations that black women in Montgomery went through. This movie pulls on the greater themes of the bus boycott and deposits them into a fictional character that still does an accurate representation of what life could have been like for a black woman on the ground in Montgomery. - Ewan H

The Long Walk Home is an excellent secondary source because it does a great job at providing an understanding of the racial dynamics and events around the Montgomery bus boycott. It got a lot of historical context right. For one, she worked as a house maid which was a common job that black women had in the 1950s. Second, the boycott and Rosa Parks were brought up. At the start of the film, Odessa's kids were reading the newspaper when it came out that a Black woman had been arrested for refusing to give up their seat to a white person on a bus. They also said, it wasn't the first time it happened either. This is actually true that several Black women refused to give up their bus seat to a white person both before and after Rosa Parks'. The movie also got down deep details about the time. For example, it showed Odessa's daughter walking into the bus to pay her fare then she had to walk out to go through the back entrance of the bus to sit in the back. (Hannah E.)

This film gets a lot right about 1950’s America, and we see both black and white perspectives of the bus boycott which truly took place. They got the details about how black people had to pay up front and then enter through the back right. Discussions of segregation and attitudes towards race relations, which often were manifest in incredibly racist dialogue, painted an unfortunately accurate picture of the American south in the 50’s. Although centered around a fictional family, we still get a realistic experience through these characters. - Owen

The Long Walk Home's portrayal of 1950's Alabama does a good job of representing the difficulties protesters who participated in the Montgomery bus boycott went through, such as Odessa and her fellow protesters being forced to walk to work (though in Odessa's case she was assisted by her white employer, which certainly was not the case for everyone). At the same time, it examines the place that women, both Black and white, occupied in the social hierarchy of the time, and the similarities and differences between their positions. Miriam places her identity as a housewife and mother first and foremost, as would be expected of women at the time, and this allows her to relate to Odessa. Though Odessa faces additional trials on account of her race, the two women do share that particular trait and the expectations 1950s Southern society would have placed upon them. - Claire C.

The movie The Long Walk Home accurately portrays key aspects of the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott, highlighting the determination of the Black community to resist segregation by organizing carpools and enduring long walks. The film captures the economic strain placed on bus companies by the boycott and the solidarity within the Black community that made the protest possible. Additionally, it realistically depicts the tense relationship between Black domestic workers and their white employers, as well as the personal risks some white individuals took to support the movement. - Sam B.

The Long Walk Home takes some liberties with historical accuracy, especially in its portrayal of personal relationships and the extent of white support for the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Miriam Thompson, a white woman who risks social backlash to support her Black housekeeper, Odessa, represents a fictionalized ally figure. While some white residents sympathized with the boycott, the level of active support shown in the film was not common and overshadows the broader efforts of Black leaders and organizations like the Montgomery Improvement Association. Additionally, the film simplifies the boycott’s complexity, omitting some of the logistical challenges and legal battles faced by organizers. -Sam B.

This film works well as a primary source since the 1990s, during which the Long Walk Home was made, was a time when racial inequalities were still prominent. The 1990's saw an increased focus on racial inequities. The film showcased an underrepresented voice along the side of Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr., providing insight into what types of stories and viewpoints were becoming accepted in mainstream media at that time. Another thing is the growing women's rights movement. The 1990s saw more progress in women's rights. You can definitely see this when Mariam was struggling against her husband's wishes; if the movie was produced in the 1950s, the scenario would be different. (Hannah E.)

I think that a movie like this is important to analyze and reflect upon with more stories like this being told in recent times. In an era where black history is highlighted more and more, a story like this can provide an early moment in the history of retelling pivotal civil rights events. Especially an example that does a good job sticking to accuracy and avoids some common tropes of movies like this (like the white savior). - Ewan H

This film provides the public a narrative surrounding the civil rights movement that is important for future generations to see and understand, so that we can recognize how things used to be, how far we’ve come and so that we don’t allow our society to become violently divided on the basis of race ever again. - Owen

This film, being a fairly accurate and straightforward retelling of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, is valuable viewing for anyone wanting to understand more of the atmosphere of that particular moment in history (dramatized, of course, but that will be the case for any movie, no matter how accurate). Though a white woman, Miriam, is a necessary character for her exemplification of the contrast between Black and white womens' positions in 50s American society, she is not centered over the Black characters or their struggles, and the result is an even and measured portrayal that is also an enjoyable watch. - Claire C.