Sarah Keys Evans: A Trailblazer for Justice

Cover are for the book Sarah Keys Evans: The Power of Quiet Courage which depicts Sarah in her military uniform in front of a bus.
Cover artwork by Jermaine Powell for the book, Sarah Key Evans: The Power of Quiet Courage.

Bring the Story of Sarah Keys Evans to Your Classroom

In 1952, three years before Rosa Parks made history, a young African-American Army private named Sarah Keys Evans refused to give up her seat on a bus in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina. Her courageous stand led to a landmark 1955 Interstate Commerce Commission ruling that helped dismantle segregation in interstate bus travel.

Through the book Sarah Keys Evans: The Power of Quiet Courage by Amy Nathan and Sarah Keys Evans, students will explore how one woman’s persistence and bravery changed history. The accompanying lesson plan, linked below, invites educators to guide students in analyzing primary sources, understanding historical context, and connecting Sarah’s story to the broader civil rights movement.

Grades: 5–8 (adaptable for other levels)
Theme: Courage, Justice, and the Power of One Voice

Lesson Plan

Bring civil rights history alive for students with this lesson on Sarah Keys Evans’s fight for equality.

Order the Book

Purchase copies of Sarah Keys Evans: The Power of Quiet Courage for your classroom through UNC Press.

“It took many heroes to overturn legally enforced racial segregation. Students learn about Rosa Parks, but they also should learn about Private First-Class Sarah Keys.”
— Alan J. Singer, Historian & Professor

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