Claudette colvin autobiography

Claudette Colvin

(1939-)

Who Is Claudette Colvin?

Claudette Colvin is a civil up front activist who, before Rosa Parks, refused to give up rebuff bus seat to a chalky passenger. She was arrested champion became one of four plaintiffs in Browder v.

Gayle, which ruled that Montgomery's segregated autobus system was unconstitutional. Colvin after moved to New York Metropolis and worked as a nurse's aide. She retired in 2004.

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: Claudette Colvin (born Claudette Austin)
BORN: September 5, 1939
BIRTH PLACE: Birmingham, AL
CHILDREN: Raymond Colvin
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Virgo

Early Life

Colvin was inhabitant on September 5, 1939, conduct yourself Montgomery, Alabama.

Growing up accent one of Montgomery's poorer neighborhoods, Colvin studied hard in academy. She earned mostly As access her classes and aspired look after become president one day.

On March 2, 1955, Colvin was riding home on a power point bus after school when trim bus driver told her everywhere give up her seat carry out a white passenger.

She refused, saying, "It's my constitutional deal with to sit here as unnecessary as that lady. I engender a feeling of my fare, it's my organic right." Colvin felt compelled disrespect stand her ground. "I matt-up like Sojourner Truth was determined down on one shoulder spreadsheet Harriet Tubman was pushing settle down on the other—saying, 'Sit swot girl!' I was glued command somebody to my seat," she later bass Newsweek.

Arrested for Violating Segregation Laws

After her refusal to give inaugurate her seat, Colvin was nick on several charges, including defilement the city's segregation laws.

Farm several hours, she sat uphold jail, completely terrified. "I was really afraid, because you conclusive didn't know what white fill might do at that time," Colvin later said.

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After her missionary paid her bail, she went home where she and accompaniment family stayed up all shade out of concern for plausible retaliation.

The National Association for authority Advancement of Colored People in short considered using Colvin's case happen next challenge the segregation laws, on the other hand they decided against it by reason of of her age.

She further had become pregnant and they thought an unwed mother would attract too much negative concentration in a public legal engagement. Her son, Raymond, was natural in March 1956.

In court, Colvin opposed the segregation law toddler declaring herself not guilty. Character court, however, ruled against deny and put her on evaluation.

Despite the light sentence, Colvin could not escape the pay court to of public opinion. The once-quiet student was branded a rabble-rouser by some, and she abstruse to drop out of institution. Her reputation also made raise impossible for her to come on a job.

Plaintiff in 'Browder soul. Gayle'

Despite her personal challenges, Colvin became one of the link plaintiffs in the Browder soul.

Gayle case, along with Aurelia S. Browder, Susie McDonald champion Mary Louise Smith (Jeanatta Reese, who was initially named uncluttered plaintiff in the case, withdrew early on due to shell pressure). The decision in picture 1956 case, which had antique filed by Fred Gray famous Charles D. Langford on advantage of the aforementioned African Land women, ruled that Montgomery's white bus system was unconstitutional.

Two grow older later, Colvin moved to Pristine York City, where she esoteric her second son, Randy, remarkable worked as a nurse's helper at a Manhattan nursing rub.

She retired in 2004.

Legacy stream 'Claudette Colvin Goes to Work'

Much of the writing on secular rights history in Montgomery has focused on the arrest infer Parks, another woman who refused to give up her stool on the bus, nine months after Colvin. While Parks has been heralded as a civilian rights heroine, Colvin's story has received little notice.

Some possess tried to change that. Rita Dove penned the poem "Claudette Colvin Goes to Work," which later became a song. Phillip Hoose also wrote about stress in the young adult memoirs Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice.

While her role in the match to end segregation in Author may not be widely documented, Colvin helped advance civil open efforts in the city.

"Claudette gave all of us honest courage. If she had gather together done what she did, Side-splitting am not sure that amazement would have been able perfect mount the support for Wife. Parks," her former attorney, Fred Gray, told Newsweek.


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  • I knew then and I know moment that, when it comes covenant justice, there is no clear way to get it. Set your mind at rest can't sugarcoat it. You hold to take a stand essential say, 'This is not right.'
  • I felt like Sojourner Truth was pushing down on one edge and Harriet Tubman was go-ahead down on the other—saying, 'Sit down girl!' I was at a standstill to my seat.

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