"Had it not been for Claudette Colvin, Aurelia Browder, Susie McDonald, and Mary Louise Smith, there may not have been a Thurgood Marshall, a Martin Luther King or a Rosa Parks. "Claudette gave all of us moral courage. On March 2, 1955, she was on a Capital Heights bus, making her way back home from school. . Born to Mary Jane Gadson and C. P. Austin, Colvin and her family moved to Montgomery, AL, when she was eight years old. Her father mowed lawns, and her mother worked as a maid. She didn't move. status : false, 2010). Growing up in Montgomery, Alabama, a neighborhood famous for drug addicts and segregation, Claudette had first-hand experiences of oppression. "I was really afraid, because you just didn't know what white people might do at that time," Colvin later said. version : 'v6.0' Biography, Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham, eds. Colvins bravery helped start a civil rights trial to end bus segregation in the city. Claudette Colvin Is A Member Of . js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js"; autoLogAppEvents : true, She had a rebellious nature from a young age. [47], A re-enactment of Colvin's resistance is portrayed in a 2014 episode of the comedy TV series Drunk History about Montgomery, Alabama. [30] Claudette began a job in 1969 as a nurse's aide in a nursing home in Manhattan. Last October, the 82-year-old civil rights pioneer made the life-changing move to file for the expungement of her decades-old arrest record. How much did the average black person make compared to the average white person on the same job? Colvin has said, "Young people think Rosa Parks just sat down on a bus and ended segregation, but that wasn't the case at all. [30][31] Her son, Randy, is an accountant in Atlanta and father of Colvin's four grandchildren. The WPC, however, did not choose her to be that test case. . [4][18] Colvin said, "But I made a personal statement, too, one that [Parks] didn't make and probably couldn't have made. My biological father's name is C. P. Austin, and my birth mother's name is Mary Jane Gadson. Radio was the main source of entertainment, information, and political propaganda, and jazz . [21], She also said in the 2009 book Claudette Colvin: Twice Towards Justice, by Phillip Hoose, that one of the police officers sat in the back seat with her. Claudette Colvin, a nurse's aide and Civil Rights Movement activist, was born on September 5, 1939, in Birmingham, Alabama. I couldnt know whether someone had entered, whether someone had left. Claudette Colvin was born on September 5, 1939 in Montgomery, Alabama. Claudette Colvin was born on September 5, 1939, in Montgomery, Alabama. Survey data is powered by Wisevoter and Scholaroo,
Below the countdown to Claudette Colvin upcoming birthday. She was born in King Hill, Montgomery, Alabama as the daughter of C. P. Colvin and Mary Anne Colvin. window.fbl_started = false; [43] The judge ordered that the juvenile record be expunged and destroyed in December 2021, stating that Colvin's refusal had "been recognized as a courageous act on her behalf and on behalf of a community of affected people". This was perhaps because she was only a teenager, and also because she became pregnant shortly after the incident. Claudette Colvin was an African American teenager who, in 1955, was arrested for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white person. Although she defended her innocence on the three charges, she was found guilty. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2008); Darlene Clark Hine, et al., [30], Colvin was a predecessor to the Montgomery bus boycott movement of 1955, which gained national attention. [24] She was convicted on all three charges in juvenile court. King Sr. would later change his and his son's names to Martin Luther after a trip that included a visit to the historic sites of the reformers in 1934. . She was played by Mariah Iman Wilson. Colvin was not credited by civil rights campaigners for her deed. Claudette Colvin is a black rights activist who was born on September 5 1939 in Montgomery, Alabama. She was adopted by Q.P. What was Jim Crow's job? Claudette Colvin is a civil rights activist who, before Rosa Parks, refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger. Birthday: September 5, 1939 ( Virgo) Born In: Montgomery, Alabama, United States 85 9 Civil Rights Activists #32 Activists #196 Quick Facts Also Known As: Claudette Austin Age: 83 Years, 83 Year Old Females Family: father: C. P. Colvin mother: Mary Anne Colvin Black Activists Civil Rights Activists U.S. State: Alabama, African-American From Alabama Log In With Google African Zion Baptist Church, Malden, West Virginia, (1852- ), COINTELPRO [Counterintelligence Program] (1956-1976), African American History: Research Guides & Websites, Global African History: Research Guides & Websites, African American Scientists and Technicians of the Manhattan Project, Envoys, Diplomatic Ministers, & Ambassadors, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Foundation, Organization, and Corporate Supporters. A group of black civil rights leaders including Martin Luther King, Jr., was organized to discuss Colvin's arrest with the police commissioner. Colvin moves to New York and starts working as a nurses aide. Claudette Colvin was born on September 5, 1939, in Montgomery, Alabama. She was born on September 5, 1939. She was pregnant and she kept saying that she didnt feel like standing, and as she had paid her fare, she had as much right to the seat as the white woman. You had to take a brown paper bag and draw a diagram of your foot and take it to the store". If the bus became so crowded that all the "white seats" in the front of the bus were filled until white people were standing, any African Americans were supposed to get up from nearby seats to make room for whites, move further to the back, and stand in the aisle if there were no free seats in that section. By 1955, Claudette attended Booker T. Washington High School, where she excelled. She later attended Booker T. Washington High School in Montgomery. [6][7] It is now widely accepted that Colvin was not accredited by civil rights campaigners at the time due to her circumstances. Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR). On March 2, 1955, she was arrested at the age of 15 inMontgomery, Alabama, for refusing to give up her seat to a white woman on a crowded, segregated bus. "He asked us both to get up. [26], Together with Aurelia S. Browder, Susie McDonald, Mary Louise Smith, and Jeanetta Reese, Colvin was one of the five plaintiffs in the court case of Browder v. Gayle. AboutPressCopyrightContact. Coretta Scott King was an American civil rights activist and the wife of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Ruby Bridges was the first African American child to integrate an all-white public elementary school in the South. Colvin and Mary Anne Colvin. Claudette Colvin was born in 1939 in Montgomery, Alabama. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); In a house of empty rooms, I thought I heard a door close down the long hall. She was born to Mary Jane Gadson and C.P. Rosa Parks had no such controversial issues attached to her name, and so her incident was popularized much more widely and she received widespread recognition. Claudette Colvin Bio: Facts, Siblings. Tue, 09.05.1939 Claudette Colvin, Activist born Claudette Colvin *Claudette Colvin was born this date in 1939. She was among the five women originally [] Colvin later moved to New York City and worked as a nurse's aide. Colvin was born September 5, 1939, and was adopted by C. P. Colvin and Mary Anne Colvin. After her arrest, Claudette Colvin was one of the plaintiffs of the historic court case Browder v. Gayle, which determined that segregation was illegal. Jeanetta Reese later resigned from the case. Austin and Mary Jane Gadson-Austin. Colvin is extremely brave. In early 1955, Colvin's class had been learning about Black history at school. Although Colvins actions were a predecessor to the Montgomery Bus Boycott movement of 1955, she rarely told her story. [37], "All we want is the truth, why does history fail to get it right?" This injustice is reflected in the fact that to this day, Colvin isnt as known a figure as Parks is. Born in 1913, Rosa Parks was an iconic figure in the Civil Rights . Even her mother beat her when she saw two white boys trying to make fun of Colvin. " Claudette Colbert, original name Emilie (Lily) Claudette Chauchoin, (born September 13, 1903, Saint-Mand, Val-de-Marne, Francedied July 30, 1996, Speightstown, Barbados), American stage and motion-picture actress known for her trademark bangs, her velvety purring voice, her confident intelligent style, and her subtle graceful acting. This made her very scared that they would sexually assault her because this happened frequently. Colvin was a scholar and aimed to one day become President. That was worse than stealing, you know, talking back to a white person. She also served as a plaintiff in the landmark legal case Browder v. Gayle, which helped end the practice of segregation on Montgomery public buses. On March 2, 1955, she was arrested at the age of 15 in Montgomery, . Claudette Colvin (born Claudette Austin; September 5, 1939) is an American pioneer of the 1950s civil rights movement and retired nurse aide. Her parents were Mary Jane Gadson and C.P. Nixon was a Pullman porter and civil rights leader who worked with Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to initiate the Montgomery Bus Boycott. On March 2, 1955, she was arrested at the age . On May 6, 1955, Colvins case was moved to the Montgomery Circuit Court, where two of the three charges against her were dropped, but the charge of assaulting the arresting police officers remained. She was an unmarried teenager at the time and was reportedly raped by a married man soon after the incident, from which she became pregnant. 
Colvin, however, continued to refuse so she was taken into custody. Months before Rosa Parks, Colvin stood up against segregation in Alabama in 1955, when she was only 15 years old. She shouted that her constitutional rights were being violated. She went to Booker T Washington high school. [46], Young adult book Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice, by Phillip Hoose, was published in 2009 and won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature. Claudette Colvin, a young African American girl growing up in the 1950s, defied the laws of segregation and challenged the Montgomery bus laws. Claudette Colvin is a civil rights activist who, before Rosa Parks, refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger. } catch (e){} Then 15 years old, she had been riding home . "[21] Colvin recalled, "History kept me stuck to my seat. 83 Year Old #7. Share with your friends. This occurred some nine months before the more widely known incident in whichRosa Parks, secretary of the local chapter of theNAACP, helped spark the 1955Montgomery bus boycott. In 2019 a statue ofRosa Parkswas unveiled in Montgomery, Alabama, and four granite markers were also unveiled near the statue on the same day to honor four plaintiffs inBrowder v. Gayle, including Colvin. Browderv. Gayle more explicitly overturned Plessy v. Ferguson than Brown v. Board had because, like Plessy, it was specifically about transportation. Claudette Colvin: The 15-year-old who came before Rosa Parks 10 March 2018 Alamy By Taylor-Dior Rumble BBC World Service In March 1955, nine months before Rosa Parks defied segregation laws by. The record of her arrest and adjudication of delinquency was expunged by the district court in 2021, with the support of the district attorney for the county in which the charges were brought more than 66 years before. Despite the light sentence, Colvin could not escape the court of public opinion. She withdrew from college, and struggled in the local environment. Is Claudette Colvin adopted? if (d.getElementById(id)) return; try{ But they dont say that Columbus discovered America; they should say, for the European people, that is, you know, their discovery of the new world. The leaders in the Civil Rights Movement tried to keep up appearances and make the "most appealing" protesters the most seen. In the south, male ministers made up the overwhelming majority of leaders. The once-quiet student was branded a troublemaker by some, and she had to drop out of college. Shes famous for being arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white woman on a crowded, segregated bus. First Name Claudette #1. } ); [4] Colvin later said: "My mother told me to be quiet about what I did. [48], In the second season (2013) of the HBO drama series The Newsroom, the lead character, Will McAvoy (played by Jeff Daniels), uses Colvin's refusal to comply with segregation as an example of how "one thing" can change everything. Her story followed Joseph Campbell's proposed idea of The Hero's Journey. Colvin was asked by the driver to give up her seat on the crowded bus for a white passenger who had just boarded; she refused. Claudette Colvin, who at 15 refused to give up her seat on an Alabama bus, deserves our gratitude. 
As of 2022, she is 82 years old. Colvin and other community activists felt that this was likely due to her youth, her dark skin, and the fact that she was pregnant at the time by a married man. How old would Martin Luther King be today? among numerous honors. }); [24], Colvin's moment of activism was not solitary or random. "She had been yelling, 'It's my constitutional right!'. And I just kept blabbing things out, and I never stopped. This event is the story of Claudette Colvin, the woman who started the bus boycott of 1955. Ruth E. Martin, Colvin, Claudette, African American National The area had a reputation for being a drug addicts haven. Phillip Hoose. She lived in a poorer section of Montgomery, Alabama. Claudette Colvin was born on September 5th, 1939 in Montgomery, AL. Jo Ann Robinson organized a city bus boycott by African Americans in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955 that changed the course of civil rights in America. She was a straight A student there. Claudette Colvin, a nurse's aide and Civil Rights Movement activist, was born on September 5, 1939, in Birmingham, Alabama. Claudette Colvin was born on September 5, 1939, in Montgomery, Alabama. On March 2, 1955, she was arrested at the age of 15 in Montgomery, Alabama, for refusing to give up her seat to a white woman on a crowded, segregated bus. March 2 was named Claudette Colvin day in Montgomery. In a United States district court, she testified before the three-judge panel that heard the case. For many years, Montgomery's Black leaders did not publicize Colvin's pioneering effort. But she rarely told her story after moving to New York City. Claudette Colvin (born Claudette Austin; September 5, 1939) [1] [2] is an American pioneer of the 1950s civil rights movement and retired nurse aide. Mine was the first cry for justice, and a loud one. Councilman Larkin's sister was on the bus in 1955 when Colvin was arrested. Mayor Todd Strange presented the proclamation and, when speaking of Colvin, said, She was an early foot soldier in our civil rights, and we did not want this opportunity to go by without declaring March 2 as Claudette Colvin Day to thank her for her leadership in the modern day civil rights movement. Rembert said, I know people have heard her name before, but I just thought we should have a day to celebrate her. Colvin could not attend the proclamation due to health concerns. On March 2, 1955, an impassioned teenager, fed up with the daily injustices of Jim Crow segregation, refused to give her seat to a white woman on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. "It resonates just as . Shes a civil rights hero and will always be remembered for her bravery and contribution to the cause. Throughout Claudette's lifetime there was a numerous amount of struggles she had to face. clearInterval(fbl_interval); Rosa Parks was a civil rights activist who refused to surrender her seat to a white passenger on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Colvin and Mary Anne Colvin. On the hot sunny day in Montgomery Alabama, on September 5th, 1939, a baby girl named Claudette Colvin was born to Mary Jane Gadson and C.P. Claudette Colbert was born in Paris and brought to the United States as a child three years later. A small donation would help us keep this available to all. // 5th Sep 1939. Colvin left Montgomery for New York City in 1958,[6] because she had difficulty finding and keeping work following her participation in the federal court case that overturned bus segregation. Her biological parents were C.P. The daughter of Mary Jane Gadson and C. P. Austin, she was born Claudette Austin. Rembert said, "I know people have heard her name before, but I just thought we should have a day to celebrate her." He was executed for his alleged crimes. NPR's Margot Adler has said that black organizations believed that Rosa Parks would be a better figure for a test case for integration because she was an adult, had a job, and had a middle-class appearance. Jim Crow's job was to separate the blacks and whites and to keep the blacks poor. Rosa Parks was a black woman who also refused to give up her seat on a public bus, but this incident took place nine months later. She was born on September 5, 1939. Claudette Colvin is best known as Civil Rights Leader who has born on September 05, 1939 in Alabama. African American chemist Percy Julian was a pioneer in the chemical synthesis of medicinal drugs such as cortisone, steroids and birth control pills. On June 13, 1956, the judges determined that the state and local laws requiring bus segregation in Alabama were unconstitutional. She worked there for 35 years, retiring in 2004. The area also had a bad reputation for being a drug addict's haven. She refused, saying, "It's my constitutional right to sit here as much as that lady. In the 2010s, Larkin arranged for a street to be named after Colvin. She was born on September 9, 1939. Her parents were Mary Jane Gadson and C.P. "[35], I dont think theres room for many more icons. She was born on September 5, 1939. At birth, she was adopted by C. P. Colvin and Mary Anne Colvin, who lived in a poor neighborhood in Montgomery, Alabama. In fact, she attended segregated schoolsand rode segregated busesin Montgomery, Alabama. Colvin did so, but received a slap and a severe reprimand from her mother, saying that she was not allowed to touch white people. Ward and Paul Headley. As a teenager in 1955, Colvin famously protested Alabama's prejudiced bus segregation laws. They'd call her a bad girl, and her case wouldn't have a chance."[6][8]. She is a wondrous person for what she did. Her parents were not able to financially support her, so she was adopted by Mary Anne and Q.P. She was adopted by C.P. She sat in the colored section about two seats away from an emergency exit, in a Capitol Heights bus. Claudette Colvin will celebrate 84th birthday on Tuesday, 5th of September 2023. On June 13, 1956, the judges determined that the state and local laws requiring bus segregation in Alabama were unconstitutional. They felt she had the maturity to handle being at the center of potential controversy. We keep track of fun holidays and special moments on the cultural calendar giving you exciting activities, deals, local events, brand promotions, and other exciting ways to celebrate. Her dad made money mowing lawns, and her mother was a handmaid. Claudette Colvin, 82, (pictured) was arrested aged 15 for breaking Alabama segregation laws and assaulting an officer. } [2][14] Despite being a good student, Colvin had difficulty connecting with her peers in school due to grief. },100); In 1943, at the age of four, Colvin was at a retail store with her mother when a couple of white boys entered. Due to this, her actions were broadly overlooked when compared to contemporary activists like Rosa Parks. Colvin was initially charged with disturbing the peace, violating the segregation laws, and battering and assaulting a police officer. Claudette Colvin and her guardians relocated to Montgomery when she was eight. This was partially a product of the outward face the NAACP was trying to broadcast and partially a product of the women fearing losing their jobs, which were often in the public school system. On March 2, 1955, 15-year-old Colvin, while riding on a segregated city bus, made the fateful decision that would make her a pioneer of the Civil Rights Movement. Although Colvins actions predated the more famous actions of Rosa Parks by nine months, she is much less well known. In court, Colvin opposed the segregation law by declaring herself not guilty. Two years later, Colvin moved to New York City, where she had her second son, Randy, and worked as a nurse's aide at a Manhattan nursing home. The court, however, ruled against her and put her on probation. She was raised in a neighborhood of Alama, Montgomery surrounded by poor Afro-American community people. All Rights Reserved. https://www.biography.com/activist/claudette-colvin. Claudette Colvin Husband - Married - Son Information about his personal life is still unknown however, she has two sons. They'd call her a bad girl, and her case wouldn't have a chance.". Colvin was not invited officially for the formal dedication of the museum, which opened to the public in September 2016. On March 2, 1955, she was arrested at the age of 15 in Montgomery, Alabama, for refusing to give up her seat to a white woman on a crowded, segregated bus. We strive for accuracy and fairness. The leaders in the Civil Rights Movement tried to keep up appearances and make the . One month later, the Supreme Court affirmed the order to Montgomery and the state of Alabama to end bus segregation. Despite the Great Depression, Hollywood and popular film production flourished. Later, she got adopted by her aunt and uncle who worked as domestic laborers.
Colvin, however, continued to refuse so she was taken into custody. Months before Rosa Parks, Colvin stood up against segregation in Alabama in 1955, when she was only 15 years old. She shouted that her constitutional rights were being violated. She went to Booker T Washington high school. [46], Young adult book Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice, by Phillip Hoose, was published in 2009 and won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature. Claudette Colvin, a young African American girl growing up in the 1950s, defied the laws of segregation and challenged the Montgomery bus laws. Claudette Colvin is a civil rights activist who, before Rosa Parks, refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger. } catch (e){} Then 15 years old, she had been riding home . "[21] Colvin recalled, "History kept me stuck to my seat. 83 Year Old #7. Share with your friends. This occurred some nine months before the more widely known incident in whichRosa Parks, secretary of the local chapter of theNAACP, helped spark the 1955Montgomery bus boycott. In 2019 a statue ofRosa Parkswas unveiled in Montgomery, Alabama, and four granite markers were also unveiled near the statue on the same day to honor four plaintiffs inBrowder v. Gayle, including Colvin. Browderv. Gayle more explicitly overturned Plessy v. Ferguson than Brown v. Board had because, like Plessy, it was specifically about transportation. Claudette Colvin: The 15-year-old who came before Rosa Parks 10 March 2018 Alamy By Taylor-Dior Rumble BBC World Service In March 1955, nine months before Rosa Parks defied segregation laws by. The record of her arrest and adjudication of delinquency was expunged by the district court in 2021, with the support of the district attorney for the county in which the charges were brought more than 66 years before. Despite the light sentence, Colvin could not escape the court of public opinion. She withdrew from college, and struggled in the local environment. Is Claudette Colvin adopted? if (d.getElementById(id)) return; try{ But they dont say that Columbus discovered America; they should say, for the European people, that is, you know, their discovery of the new world. The leaders in the Civil Rights Movement tried to keep up appearances and make the "most appealing" protesters the most seen. In the south, male ministers made up the overwhelming majority of leaders. The once-quiet student was branded a troublemaker by some, and she had to drop out of college. Shes famous for being arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white woman on a crowded, segregated bus. First Name Claudette #1. } ); [4] Colvin later said: "My mother told me to be quiet about what I did. [48], In the second season (2013) of the HBO drama series The Newsroom, the lead character, Will McAvoy (played by Jeff Daniels), uses Colvin's refusal to comply with segregation as an example of how "one thing" can change everything. Her story followed Joseph Campbell's proposed idea of The Hero's Journey. Colvin was asked by the driver to give up her seat on the crowded bus for a white passenger who had just boarded; she refused. Claudette Colvin, who at 15 refused to give up her seat on an Alabama bus, deserves our gratitude. As of 2022, she is 82 years old. Colvin and other community activists felt that this was likely due to her youth, her dark skin, and the fact that she was pregnant at the time by a married man. How old would Martin Luther King be today? among numerous honors. }); [24], Colvin's moment of activism was not solitary or random. "She had been yelling, 'It's my constitutional right!'. And I just kept blabbing things out, and I never stopped. This event is the story of Claudette Colvin, the woman who started the bus boycott of 1955. Ruth E. Martin, Colvin, Claudette, African American National The area had a reputation for being a drug addicts haven. Phillip Hoose. She lived in a poorer section of Montgomery, Alabama. Claudette Colvin was born on September 5th, 1939 in Montgomery, AL. Jo Ann Robinson organized a city bus boycott by African Americans in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955 that changed the course of civil rights in America. She was a straight A student there. Claudette Colvin, a nurse's aide and Civil Rights Movement activist, was born on September 5, 1939, in Birmingham, Alabama. Claudette Colvin was born on September 5, 1939, in Montgomery, Alabama. On March 2, 1955, she was arrested at the age of 15 in Montgomery, Alabama, for refusing to give up her seat to a white woman on a crowded, segregated bus. March 2 was named Claudette Colvin day in Montgomery. In a United States district court, she testified before the three-judge panel that heard the case. For many years, Montgomery's Black leaders did not publicize Colvin's pioneering effort. But she rarely told her story after moving to New York City. Claudette Colvin (born Claudette Austin; September 5, 1939) [1] [2] is an American pioneer of the 1950s civil rights movement and retired nurse aide. Mine was the first cry for justice, and a loud one. Councilman Larkin's sister was on the bus in 1955 when Colvin was arrested. Mayor Todd Strange presented the proclamation and, when speaking of Colvin, said, She was an early foot soldier in our civil rights, and we did not want this opportunity to go by without declaring March 2 as Claudette Colvin Day to thank her for her leadership in the modern day civil rights movement. Rembert said, I know people have heard her name before, but I just thought we should have a day to celebrate her. Colvin could not attend the proclamation due to health concerns. On March 2, 1955, an impassioned teenager, fed up with the daily injustices of Jim Crow segregation, refused to give her seat to a white woman on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. "It resonates just as . Shes a civil rights hero and will always be remembered for her bravery and contribution to the cause. Throughout Claudette's lifetime there was a numerous amount of struggles she had to face. clearInterval(fbl_interval); Rosa Parks was a civil rights activist who refused to surrender her seat to a white passenger on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Colvin and Mary Anne Colvin. On the hot sunny day in Montgomery Alabama, on September 5th, 1939, a baby girl named Claudette Colvin was born to Mary Jane Gadson and C.P. Claudette Colbert was born in Paris and brought to the United States as a child three years later. A small donation would help us keep this available to all. // 5th Sep 1939. Colvin left Montgomery for New York City in 1958,[6] because she had difficulty finding and keeping work following her participation in the federal court case that overturned bus segregation. Her biological parents were C.P. The daughter of Mary Jane Gadson and C. P. Austin, she was born Claudette Austin. Rembert said, "I know people have heard her name before, but I just thought we should have a day to celebrate her." He was executed for his alleged crimes. NPR's Margot Adler has said that black organizations believed that Rosa Parks would be a better figure for a test case for integration because she was an adult, had a job, and had a middle-class appearance. Jim Crow's job was to separate the blacks and whites and to keep the blacks poor. Rosa Parks was a black woman who also refused to give up her seat on a public bus, but this incident took place nine months later. She was born on September 5, 1939. Claudette Colvin is best known as Civil Rights Leader who has born on September 05, 1939 in Alabama. African American chemist Percy Julian was a pioneer in the chemical synthesis of medicinal drugs such as cortisone, steroids and birth control pills. On June 13, 1956, the judges determined that the state and local laws requiring bus segregation in Alabama were unconstitutional. She worked there for 35 years, retiring in 2004. The area also had a bad reputation for being a drug addict's haven. She refused, saying, "It's my constitutional right to sit here as much as that lady. In the 2010s, Larkin arranged for a street to be named after Colvin. She was born on September 9, 1939. Her parents were Mary Jane Gadson and C.P. "[35], I dont think theres room for many more icons. She was born on September 5, 1939. At birth, she was adopted by C. P. Colvin and Mary Anne Colvin, who lived in a poor neighborhood in Montgomery, Alabama. In fact, she attended segregated schoolsand rode segregated busesin Montgomery, Alabama. Colvin did so, but received a slap and a severe reprimand from her mother, saying that she was not allowed to touch white people. Ward and Paul Headley. As a teenager in 1955, Colvin famously protested Alabama's prejudiced bus segregation laws. They'd call her a bad girl, and her case wouldn't have a chance."[6][8]. She is a wondrous person for what she did. Her parents were not able to financially support her, so she was adopted by Mary Anne and Q.P. She was adopted by C.P. She sat in the colored section about two seats away from an emergency exit, in a Capitol Heights bus. Claudette Colvin will celebrate 84th birthday on Tuesday, 5th of September 2023. On June 13, 1956, the judges determined that the state and local laws requiring bus segregation in Alabama were unconstitutional. They felt she had the maturity to handle being at the center of potential controversy. We keep track of fun holidays and special moments on the cultural calendar giving you exciting activities, deals, local events, brand promotions, and other exciting ways to celebrate. Her dad made money mowing lawns, and her mother was a handmaid. Claudette Colvin, 82, (pictured) was arrested aged 15 for breaking Alabama segregation laws and assaulting an officer. } [2][14] Despite being a good student, Colvin had difficulty connecting with her peers in school due to grief. },100); In 1943, at the age of four, Colvin was at a retail store with her mother when a couple of white boys entered. Due to this, her actions were broadly overlooked when compared to contemporary activists like Rosa Parks. Colvin was initially charged with disturbing the peace, violating the segregation laws, and battering and assaulting a police officer. Claudette Colvin and her guardians relocated to Montgomery when she was eight. This was partially a product of the outward face the NAACP was trying to broadcast and partially a product of the women fearing losing their jobs, which were often in the public school system. On March 2, 1955, 15-year-old Colvin, while riding on a segregated city bus, made the fateful decision that would make her a pioneer of the Civil Rights Movement. Although Colvins actions predated the more famous actions of Rosa Parks by nine months, she is much less well known. In court, Colvin opposed the segregation law by declaring herself not guilty. Two years later, Colvin moved to New York City, where she had her second son, Randy, and worked as a nurse's aide at a Manhattan nursing home. The court, however, ruled against her and put her on probation. She was raised in a neighborhood of Alama, Montgomery surrounded by poor Afro-American community people. All Rights Reserved. https://www.biography.com/activist/claudette-colvin. Claudette Colvin Husband - Married - Son Information about his personal life is still unknown however, she has two sons. They'd call her a bad girl, and her case wouldn't have a chance.". Colvin was not invited officially for the formal dedication of the museum, which opened to the public in September 2016. On March 2, 1955, she was arrested at the age of 15 in Montgomery, Alabama, for refusing to give up her seat to a white woman on a crowded, segregated bus. We strive for accuracy and fairness. The leaders in the Civil Rights Movement tried to keep up appearances and make the . One month later, the Supreme Court affirmed the order to Montgomery and the state of Alabama to end bus segregation. Despite the Great Depression, Hollywood and popular film production flourished. Later, she got adopted by her aunt and uncle who worked as domestic laborers.