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i did not realize how many people do not know who Claudette Colvin is. here’s your black history fact of the day. Claudette Colvin was the ACTUAL first black woman to refuse to give up her bus seat. She was 15 at the time. She was in a middle seat.
the bus has reached capacity and a white woman expected her to move but she refused even though the other girls she was with moved to the back upon the bus drivers demand. She’s been quoted as saying “I just couldn’t move. History had me glued to the seat.”
police were called by the bus driver and police dragged her off the bus and took her to an adult jail. she was charged with assault and battery and defying the segregation law.
she lost many friends because of this incident. many thought she caused too much trouble and had made things harder for black people. others were impressed.
she wanted to fight the law(s) in court. Fred Gray was the attorney she chose. But after communicating with other black attorneys and leaders in Montgomery, they decided not to go forward bc the public just “wasn’t ready”
nine months later Rosa Parks did the exact same thing. Colvin says that she understands why Parks was chosen. She was calmer and more genteel and an established leader. plus Colvin becoming pregnant at 16 out of wedlock wasn’t the ideal image activists wanted to show off.
Claudette Colvin is still alive. She is 81 years old and a former Nurse Aide. She’s done interviews with NPR and BBC amongst others where you can read more of her story.
a big part of rosa being picked over claudette is colorism. rosa being lighter was more digestible to white people. of course no one will confirm or deny this bc they don’t want to look bad
i’ll add that she was the first black girl in Montgomery, Alabama to do it.
