WASHINGTON (AP) — Claudette Colvin, whose 1955 arrest for refusing to give up her seat on a segregated Montgomery bus helped spark the modern civil rights movement, has died. She was 86.
Her death was announced Tuesday by the Claudette Colvin Legacy Foundation. Ashley D. Roseboro of the organization confirmed she died in Texas.
Colvin was arrested months before Rosa Parks gained international fame for her similar act of defiance. On March 2, 1955, a bus driver reported to the police that two Black girls were sitting near two white girls, a violation of segregation laws at that time. While one of the girls complied and moved to the rear of the bus, Colvin stood firm, leading to her arrest. At just 15 years old, her brave stand became a catalyst for the civil rights movement.
Her legacy includes serving as a named plaintiff in the landmark lawsuit that led to the outlawing of racial segregation on Montgomery’s buses. Colvin’s contributions continue to remind us of the struggles faced and the progress made in the fight for racial equality.
Her death was announced Tuesday by the Claudette Colvin Legacy Foundation. Ashley D. Roseboro of the organization confirmed she died in Texas.
Colvin was arrested months before Rosa Parks gained international fame for her similar act of defiance. On March 2, 1955, a bus driver reported to the police that two Black girls were sitting near two white girls, a violation of segregation laws at that time. While one of the girls complied and moved to the rear of the bus, Colvin stood firm, leading to her arrest. At just 15 years old, her brave stand became a catalyst for the civil rights movement.
Her legacy includes serving as a named plaintiff in the landmark lawsuit that led to the outlawing of racial segregation on Montgomery’s buses. Colvin’s contributions continue to remind us of the struggles faced and the progress made in the fight for racial equality.
