Question

“Mother dear, may I go downtown
Instead of out to play,
And march the streets of Birmingham
In a Freedom March today?”
5 “No, baby, no, you may not go,
For the dogs are fierce and wild,
And clubs and hoses, guns and jails
Aren’t good for a little child.”
“But, mother, I won’t be alone.
10 Other children will go with me,
And march the streets of Birmingham
To make our country free.”
“No, baby, no, you may not go,
For I fear those guns will fire.
15 But you may go to church instead
And sing in the children’s choir.”
She has combed and brushed her night-dark hair,
And bathed rose petal sweet,
And drawn white gloves on her small brown hands,
20 And white shoes on her feet.
The mother smiled to know her child
Was in the sacred place,
But that smile was the last smile
To come upon her face.
25 For when she heard the explosion,
Her eyes grew wet and wild.
She raced through the streets of Birmingham
Calling for her child.
She clawed through bits of glass and brick,
30 Then lifted out a shoe.
“O, here’s the shoe my baby wore,
But, baby, where are you?” Question: Why won`t the mother let her child march on the streets of Birmingham?

Answer 1

She fears for the dangers that are going on in Birmingham surrounding racism. She knows that if she were to let her child onto the streets awful things are to come. I hope that this is the answer that you were looking for and it has helped you.

Answer 2

The mother won't let her child march on the streets of Birmingham because she feels that it is unsafe. She says, "the dogs are fierce and wild,/and clubs and hoses, guns and jails/ Aren't good for a little child...I fear those guns will fire." She is worried that the people that oppose the march will be violent and hurt those marching.

The mother's desire to keep her child from harm and send to church instead doesn't work. Instead of their being violence on the streets during the march, The church she sends her child to is bombed, and her child is killed.