Claudette Colvin, a pioneering figure in the US civil rights movement who challenged racial segregation by refusing to give up her bus seat, has died at the age of 86.
Colvin was just 15 years old when she was arrested in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955 after refusing to move for a white passenger. Her act of protest took place nine months before Rosa Parks’ more widely known arrest, which later sparked mass bus boycotts and helped drive landmark legal change.
Although Colvin was the first person arrested for defying Montgomery’s segregated bus laws, her role remained largely unrecognised for decades. It was not until 2009, with the publication of the first detailed book about her experience, that her story gained broader attention.
One year after her arrest, the US Supreme Court ruled that segregation on buses was unconstitutional. The case relied on testimony from four plaintiffs, including Colvin, whose actions helped shape the court’s decision.
In a 2018 interview, Colvin said she felt “disappointed and angry” rather than afraid at the time of her arrest, explaining that she knew she “was sitting in the right seat.”
She often credited her courage to inspiration from abolitionists Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth, saying their legacy gave her the strength to remain seated.
Later in life, Colvin worked as a nurse in New York. The Claudette Colvin Legacy Foundation confirmed she died in Texas, saying she leaves behind “a legacy of courage that helped change the course of American history.”
Erizia Rubyjeana
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