20. Claudette Colvin might have just been 15-years-old, but she showed bravery beyond her years to defy Alabama’s segregation laws in the spring of 1955
Rosa Parks has – rightfully – gone down in history as a true Civil Rights hero, the woman who defied racist segregation laws by refusing to give up her bus seat for a white passenger in December 1955. However, a full nine months before that famous incident in Montgomery, Alabama, Claudette Colvin made a stand against bigotry. She too refused to give up her seat for a white person, and ended up in jail as a result. Remarkably, Colvin was a schoolgirl and just 15-years-old at the time.
It was just a normal day in March 1955 and Colvin and her friends were taking the bus back from school. As the journey progressed, more passengers got on. As was the custom, black passengers were supposed to vacate seats towards the front and move to the back of the bus. But when a young white lady got on, Colvin refused to move. She told the driver she had paid her fare and was entitled to stay where she was. The driver hailed a police car. Colvin was forcibly removed from the bus and locked up.
The teenager was the first person to be arrested for breaking the bus segregation laws in Montgomery. However, beyond a few small stories in the local media, her case remained largely unknown, especially after Parks made her famous act of defiance less than a year later. Much of this was due to Colvin’s young age, but it was also due to her own modesty. Additionally, it’s since been revealed that Colvin fell pregnant that summer and the NAACP were wary of using a pregnant teen to front their campaign for equality, so got behind Parks instead.
Colvin watched as Parks’ protest turned into a huge boycott and then blossomed into a bigger fight for Civil Rights. She moved to New York City and started work. She is now recognised as a key figure in the Civil Rights movement. This brave teen stood alone against bigotry, showing bravery well beyond her years.
Where did we find this stuff? Here are our sources:
“Blaise Pascal Biography.” St. Andrews University.
“Sultan Murad IV.” All About Turkey.
“Holier than Thou? Pope Benedict IX.” Time Magazine, April 2010.
“History’s Nutcases: Emperor Elagabalus.” History Things.
“Bobby Fisher: From prodigy to pariah.” The Guardian, May 2011.
“Annie Oakley Biography.” Buffalo Bill Center of the West.
“Claudette Colvin: The 15-year-old who came before Rosa Parks.” BBC World Service.
“Biography: Barbara Rose Johns Powell.” The Moton Museum.
“Mozart at 250: how to explain a 10-year-old talent for all time.” The Guardian, January 2016.
“What is Braille?” American Foundation for the Blind.
“King Tut: The Teen Whose Death Rocked Egypt.” National Geographic, November 2015.
“Death of ex-Queen Isabella II of Spain.” History Today, April 2004.
