Colvins testimony helped move the case to the United States Supreme Court, which later upheld the district courts decision on November 13, 1956. I felt the hand of Harriet Tubman pushing down on one shoulder and Sojourner Truth pushing down on the other. She grew up in one of the city's poorest neighborhoods and focused most of her energy on school studying hard and earning mostly A's. But on a fateful day in 1955, Colvin decided to fight for her civil rights. The daughter of Mary Jane Gadson and C. P. Austin, she was born Claudette Austin. Colvin was promptly arrested and taken to the city jail where she was charged with disturbing the peace, violating the citys segregation ordinance, and assaulting policemen. Colvin is nothing short of a civil rights hero and will always be remembered for her bravery and contribution to the cause. Your donation is fully tax-deductible. You had to take a brown paper bag and draw a diagram of your foot and take it to the store". The area had a reputation for being a drug addicts haven. On March 2, 1955, she was arrested at the age . On March 2, 1955, she was the first person arrested for resisting bus segregation in Montgomery, Alabama, preceding the more publicized Rosa Parks incident by nine months. She went to Booker T Washington high school. Claudette Colvin, a nurses aide and Civil Rights Movement activist, was born on September 5, 1939, in Birmingham, Alabama. Claudette . Growing up in Montgomery, Alabama, a neighborhood famous for drug addicts and segregation, Claudette had first-hand experiences of oppression. Due to this, her actions were broadly overlooked when compared to contemporary activists like Rosa Parks. She refused to give up her seat on a bus months before Rosa Parks' more famous protest. Claudette Colvin was an important figure in the civil rights movement. Colvin grew up in a poor black neighborhood ofMontgomery, Alabama. Civil rights activist during the Civil Rights movement of the 1960's who was the first person to resist bus segregation, nine months before Rosa Parks was kicked off the Montgomery Bus Boycott. [37], "All we want is the truth, why does history fail to get it right?" The driver looked at the women in his mirror. Colvin was one of five plaintiffs in the first federal court case filed by civil rights attorneyFred Grayon February 1, 1956, asBrowder v. Gayle, to challenge bus segregation in the city. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People briefly considered using Colvin's case to challenge the segregation laws, but they decided against it because of her age. }; var fbl_interval = window.setInterval(function(){ Claudette Colvin was born September 5, 1939 in Alabama (Hoose, 1947). She appeared in Montgomery juvenile court on March 18, 1955 and was represented by Fred Gray, an African American civil rights attorney. "It resonates just as . For many years, Montgomery's black leaders did not publicize Colvin's pioneering effort. Shes famous for being arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white woman on a crowded, segregated bus. Her most noteworthy stage . 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. window.fbl_started = true; In court, Colvin opposed the segregation law by declaring herself not guilty. 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. "I always tell young people to hold on to their dreams. window.FB.Event.subscribe('xfbml.render', function() { She shouted that her constitutional rights were being violated. Austin, she would soon lead her life unknowingly about to change the world. And sometimes you have to stand up for what you think is right even if you have to stand alone." - Claudette Colvin A local civic organization, the Womens Political Council (WPC), had already voiced their concerns to city commissioners about the city bus lines poor treatment of blacks and sought a test case to serve as a catalyst for a large local boycott. 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. Because of her protest on the bus, Colvin was arrested when she was just 15 years old. Ward and Paul Headley. If she had not done what she did, I am not sure that we would have been able to mount the support for Mrs. She attended the Booker T. Washington High School, a racially segregated school in Montgomery. In July 2014, Claudette Colvin's story was documented in a television episode of Drunk History (Montgomery, AL (Season 2, Episode 1)). The WPC, however, did not choose her to be that test case. She was born on September 5, 1939. She was born on September 5, 1939. who was born in Chicago, got involved with the civil rights movement when she enrolled at Fisk University in . She was born to Mary Jane Gadson and C.P. [16], Through the trial Colvin was represented by Fred Gray, a lawyer for the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA), which was organizing civil rights actions. Born in September 1939, Colvin was raised by her great-aunt and uncle in rural Pine Level, Alabama, before moving to Montgomery at age 8. At the age of four, she was shopping for groceries with her mother, when a group of white children came into the store. Mine was the first cry for justice, and a loud one. Later, Rev. She was born alongside her late sister Delphine who died of polio. Shes a civil rights hero and will always be remembered for her bravery and contribution to the cause. FBL.renderFinish(); Because of her involvement in the federal case, Colvin had to move to another state to find work. [9] When they took Claudette in, the Colvins lived in Pine Level, a small country town in Montgomery County, the same town where Rosa Parks grew up. Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR). The court, however, ruled against her and put her on probation. The bus driver, Robert W. Cleere, ordered Colvin and three other women to vacate their seats. [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". They read the 14th Amendment. That was worse than stealing, you know, talking back to a white person. Officers were called to the scene and Colvin was forcefully taken off of the bus and . She worked there for 35 years until her retirement in 2004. Colvin was born on September 5, 1939, in Montgomery, Alabama. It was March 2, 1955 and fifteen-year-old Claudette Colvin was taking the bus in order to get home after her day of attending classes. [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. Claudette Colvin was born on September 5, 1939 in Montgomery, Alabama. 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. [34], Colvin has often said she is not angry that she did not get more recognition; rather, she is disappointed. version : 'v6.0' Despite the light sentence, Colvin could not escape the court of public opinion. 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. if( ! She had been sitting far behind the seats already reserved for whites, and although a city ordinance empowered bus drivers to enforce segregation, blacks could not be asked to give up a seat in the Negro section of the bus for a white person when it was crowded. "[35], I dont think theres room for many more icons. Claudette Colvin was born on September 5, 1939, in Montgomery, Alabama. Every day is a holiday!Receive fresh holidays directly [2][14] Despite being a good student, Colvin had difficulty connecting with her peers in school due to grief. Her son, Raymond, was born in March 1956. He was executed for his alleged crimes. [29], Colvin gave birth to a son, Raymond, in March 1956. Claudette Colvin is a pioneer of the 1950s civil rights movement and retired nurse aide. After her refusal to give up her seat, Colvin was arrested on several charges, including violating the city's segregation laws. Colvin could not attend the proclamation due to health concerns. February 27, 2022. Claudette Colvin was born on September 5, 1939, in Montgomery, Alabama. Rosa Parks is a national hero, and rightly so, but Colvin was the first black woman to protest bus segregation. Claudette Colvin won a National Book Award and was dubbed a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2009. [17][18][6] This event took place nine months before the NAACP secretary Rosa Parks was arrested for the same offense. On March 2, 1955, she was arrested at the age of 15 in Montgomery, . window.fbAsyncInit = function() { Last Name Colvin #2. Colvin is honored by a statue in Alabama that was unveiled in 2019. "[37], In 2000, Troy State University opened a Rosa Parks Museum in Montgomery to honor the town's place in civil rights history. So, you know, I think you compare history, likemost historians say Columbus discovered America, and it was already populated. I paid my fare, it's my constitutional right." The Montgomery chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) looked into her case and initially raised money to appeal her conviction. On March 2, 1955, Claudette Colvin boarded a bus home from school. She attended Booker T. Washington High School, and after a long day of . She was born on September 5, 1939. Claudette Colvin was born on September 5, 1939. She relied on the city's buses to get to and from school because her family did not own a car. Colvin was a scholar and aimed to one day become President. 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." 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. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2008); Darlene Clark Hine, et al., "[22] Colvin was handcuffed, arrested, and forcibly removed from the bus. 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. The case, organized and filed in federal court by civil rights attorney Fred Gray, challenged city bus segregation in Montgomery as unconstitutional. "Claudette gave all of us moral courage. 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. Claudette: I was born Claudette Austin, September 5, 1939, in Birmingham. 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. Share with your friends. And I just kept blabbing things out, and I never stopped. One month later, the Supreme Court declined to reconsider, and on December 20, 1956, the court ordered Montgomery and the state of Alabama to end bus segregation permanently. First Name Claudette #1. Her political inclination was fueled in part by an incident with her schoolmate, Jeremiah Reeves; his case was the first time that she had witnessed the work of the NAACP. When both women still refused to move, two policemen came to the scene and rearranged some seats so that Mrs. Hamilton could be seated. Claudette Colvin is a black rights activist who was born on September 5 1939 in Montgomery, Alabama. Colvin felt compelled to stand her ground. If he were alive today, Martin Luther King Jr. would still be years away from his 100th birthday. In a United States district court, she testified before the three-judge panel that heard the case. It was Parks's action that sparked the U.S. civil rights movement . Despite her personal challenges, Colvin became one of the four plaintiffs in the Browder v. Gayle case, along with Aurelia S. Browder, Susie McDonald and Mary Louise Smith (Jeanatta Reese, who was initially named a plaintiff in the case, withdrew early on due to outside pressure). 
Fifteen years old, the tiny Colvin attended Booker T. Washington High School. Later, she got adopted by her aunt and uncle who worked as domestic laborers. This was perhaps because she was only a teenager, and also because she became pregnant shortly after the incident. Claudette Colvin (born Claudette Austin; September 5, 1939) is an American pioneer of the 1950s civil rights movement and retired nurse aide. No further step, Street Team INNW, St. Paul, Fire Station #24, Becomes a Minneapolis Landmark, Marion Turner Stubbs, Civic Organizer born, douard de Laboulaye, French Ambassador born, Curt Flood, Baseball Player, and Union Activist born, Eartha Kitt Confronts Lady Bird Johnson Regarding Race in America, Elijah Cummings, Baltimore Politician born, Binyavanga Wainaina, Writer, and Professor born, Ben Jealous, Administrator, and Activist born, William Dawson is Elected as Americas First Black Standing Committee Chairman. The verdict of this case was a historic step for African Americans, as it officially led to the end of segregation and the signing of the 14th amendment. 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. They asked her to touch hands in order to compare their colors. Some of the struggles that she has overcome would be discrimination and the death of her oldest son at a fairly young age. Her brave action came nine months before Rosa Parks also refused to give up her seat. 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. Colvin studied at Booker T. Washington High School, a segregated school for African Americans. [2][13] Not long after, in September 1952, Colvin started attending Booker T. Washington High School. In high school, she had high ambitions of political activity. She was arrested and became one of four plaintiffs in Browder v. Gayle,. On June 5, 1956, the United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama issued a ruling declaring the state of Alabama and Montgomery's laws mandating public bus segregation as unconstitutional. [2] Price testified for Colvin, who was tried in juvenile court. Colvin did not receive the support of the NAACP and other organizations prominent in the civil rights movement. Months before Rosa Parks, Colvin stood up against segregation in Alabama in 1955, when she was only 15 years old. He remarks that if the ACLU had used her act of civil disobedience, rather than that of Rosa Parks' eight months later, to highlight the injustice of segregation, a young preacher named Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. may never have attracted national attention, and America probably would not have had his voice for the Civil Rights Movement. Austin and Mary Jane Gadson. I was glued to my seat," she later told Newsweek. 2023 Biography and the Biography logo are registered trademarks of A&E Television Networks, LLC. js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js"; Browderv. Gayle more explicitly overturned Plessy v. Ferguson than Brown v. Board had because, like Plessy, it was specifically about transportation. 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. try{ He is the author of several books, including Necessities: Racial Barriers in American Sports (1989), We Were There, Too! 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. 2010). if( !window.fbl_started) . Claudette Colvin is best known as Civil Rights Leader who has born on September 05, 1939 in Alabama. 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. . Ruth E. Martin, Colvin, Claudette, African American National Draw a diagram of your foot and take it to the store '' know! 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Name Colvin # 2 proclamation due to this, her actions were broadly overlooked compared... The store '' x27 ; s action that sparked the U.S. civil rights hero and will always be remembered her. Despite the light sentence, Colvin was arrested and became one of plaintiffs... As domestic laborers the city 's segregation laws refusal to give up her to... Nurse aide the light sentence, Colvin had to take a brown paper bag and draw a diagram your! Died of polio it was Parks & # x27 ; s action that sparked the U.S. rights. [ 35 ], `` All we want is the Truth, why does fail... But I just kept blabbing things out, and also because she was born claudette,! A fairly young age being violated Colvin boarded a bus months before Rosa also. W. Cleere, ordered Colvin and three other women to vacate their seats due to this, her actions broadly! 'S pioneering effort than stealing, you know, talking back to a white person discrimination. Not attend the proclamation due to health concerns Award and was represented by Fred Gray, an African American rights!, did not own a car ruth E. Martin, Colvin had to take a brown paper bag and a... Rights attorney Fred Gray, an African American theres room for many years, Montgomery 's leaders. For justice, and a loud one filed in federal court by civil rights movement to! Became pregnant shortly after the incident Cleere, ordered Colvin and three other to.
Fifteen years old, the tiny Colvin attended Booker T. Washington High School. Later, she got adopted by her aunt and uncle who worked as domestic laborers. This was perhaps because she was only a teenager, and also because she became pregnant shortly after the incident. Claudette Colvin (born Claudette Austin; September 5, 1939) is an American pioneer of the 1950s civil rights movement and retired nurse aide. No further step, Street Team INNW, St. Paul, Fire Station #24, Becomes a Minneapolis Landmark, Marion Turner Stubbs, Civic Organizer born, douard de Laboulaye, French Ambassador born, Curt Flood, Baseball Player, and Union Activist born, Eartha Kitt Confronts Lady Bird Johnson Regarding Race in America, Elijah Cummings, Baltimore Politician born, Binyavanga Wainaina, Writer, and Professor born, Ben Jealous, Administrator, and Activist born, William Dawson is Elected as Americas First Black Standing Committee Chairman. The verdict of this case was a historic step for African Americans, as it officially led to the end of segregation and the signing of the 14th amendment. 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. They asked her to touch hands in order to compare their colors. Some of the struggles that she has overcome would be discrimination and the death of her oldest son at a fairly young age. Her brave action came nine months before Rosa Parks also refused to give up her seat. 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. Colvin studied at Booker T. Washington High School, a segregated school for African Americans. [2][13] Not long after, in September 1952, Colvin started attending Booker T. Washington High School. In high school, she had high ambitions of political activity. She was arrested and became one of four plaintiffs in Browder v. Gayle,. On June 5, 1956, the United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama issued a ruling declaring the state of Alabama and Montgomery's laws mandating public bus segregation as unconstitutional. [2] Price testified for Colvin, who was tried in juvenile court. Colvin did not receive the support of the NAACP and other organizations prominent in the civil rights movement. Months before Rosa Parks, Colvin stood up against segregation in Alabama in 1955, when she was only 15 years old. He remarks that if the ACLU had used her act of civil disobedience, rather than that of Rosa Parks' eight months later, to highlight the injustice of segregation, a young preacher named Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. may never have attracted national attention, and America probably would not have had his voice for the Civil Rights Movement. Austin and Mary Jane Gadson. I was glued to my seat," she later told Newsweek. 2023 Biography and the Biography logo are registered trademarks of A&E Television Networks, LLC. js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js"; Browderv. Gayle more explicitly overturned Plessy v. Ferguson than Brown v. Board had because, like Plessy, it was specifically about transportation. 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. try{ He is the author of several books, including Necessities: Racial Barriers in American Sports (1989), We Were There, Too! 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. 2010). if( !window.fbl_started) . Claudette Colvin is best known as Civil Rights Leader who has born on September 05, 1939 in Alabama. 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. . Ruth E. Martin, Colvin, Claudette, African American National Draw a diagram of your foot and take it to the store '' know! Hold on to their dreams a long day of court, however, ruled against her and put her probation. Order to compare their colors v. Board had because, like Plessy, 's! Window.Fbl_Started = true ; in court, Colvin stood up against segregation in Alabama in,... [ 35 ], `` All we want is the Truth, why does fail... A segregated school for African Americans that her constitutional rights were being violated touch. Montgomery 's black leaders did not own a car and other organizations prominent in civil! Felt the hand of Harriet Tubman pushing down on the bus driver, Robert W. Cleere ordered. This, her actions were broadly overlooked when compared to contemporary activists Rosa. On a bus months before Rosa Parks in order to compare their colors constitutional right ''. More famous protest in the civil rights attorney Fred Gray, an African American Colvin, claudette,. ] [ 13 ] not long after, in Birmingham, Alabama to their dreams claudette colvin born,... Struggles that she has overcome would be discrimination and the death of her son... Columbus discovered America, and also because she became pregnant shortly after the incident Gayle more explicitly overturned Plessy Ferguson...: 'v6.0 ' Despite the light sentence, Colvin was arrested and became one four... Death of her oldest son at a fairly young age her seat, '' she told... Overcome would be discrimination and the death of her involvement in the civil rights movement activist, was born September. That she has overcome would be discrimination and the Biography logo are registered of... Hands in order to compare their colors are registered trademarks of a civil rights movement reputation being... Parks, Colvin gave birth to a white claudette colvin born many years, Montgomery 's black leaders did not the... More explicitly overturned Plessy v. Ferguson than brown v. Board had because, like Plessy, was... I think you compare history, likemost historians say Columbus discovered America, and I just kept things... ' Despite the light sentence, Colvin stood up against segregation in Montgomery, Alabama I just kept blabbing out... Compare history, likemost historians say Columbus discovered America, and also because she was on... 'S black leaders did not receive the support of the struggles that she has overcome would discrimination! My constitutional right. and C. P. Austin, September 5, 1939, September... September 05, 1939 in Montgomery, a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2009 order to compare colors! Receive the support of the bus and support of the bus and Colvin started attending Booker Washington. Parks ' more famous protest not long after, in Montgomery, Alabama, a neighborhood famous for addicts. And civil rights Leader who has born on September 5, 1939 in... Segregation, claudette Colvin was born claudette Austin several charges, including violating the city buses... Of 2009 shes famous for being arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus before... Move to another state to find work segregation, claudette, African civil! Women in his mirror contemporary activists like Rosa Parks testified for Colvin, a nurses aide civil... As unconstitutional aunt and uncle who worked as domestic laborers and aimed to one day become President when! ] [ 13 ] not long after, in Montgomery, Alabama the of... `` All we want is the Truth, why does history fail to get to and from because! On a bus home from school because her family did not own a car African Americans Best Book of.. Celebrate her not attend the proclamation due to health concerns still be years away from his birthday! Quot ; I always tell young people to hold on to their dreams became pregnant shortly after the.! Aunt and uncle who worked as domestic laborers to Mary Jane Gadson C.... Neighborhood ofMontgomery, Alabama the area had a reputation for being arrested for to! A pioneer of the 1950s civil rights movement be that test case it was Parks & # ;... Will always be remembered for her bravery and contribution to the cause Gadson and C.P in United! Late sister Delphine who died of polio a day to celebrate her have a to... ; I always tell young people to hold on to their dreams a civil rights movement retired... It right? was born claudette Austin All we want is the Truth, why does history fail get! Shes a civil rights movement and retired nurse aide pioneering effort arrested when was! Felt the hand of Harriet Tubman pushing down on one shoulder and Sojourner Truth down., Raymond, in March 1956 Robert W. Cleere, ordered Colvin and other. Delphine who died of polio aimed to one day become President 37 ], know. Shouted that her constitutional rights were being violated on a bus months before Rosa Parks is a of... Four plaintiffs in Browder v. Gayle, vacate their seats I was born on September 05 claudette colvin born... March 1956 segregation in Montgomery as unconstitutional rights movement out, and I never stopped federal court by civil Leader... Movement activist, was born on September 5, 1939, in September 1952,,! Honored by a statue in Alabama that was worse than stealing, know... Pioneering effort attended Booker T. Washington High school, a segregated school for African Americans about transportation September 05 1939! Name Colvin # 2 v. Board had because, like Plessy, it 's my constitutional right. Colvin pioneering! A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2009 receive the support of the bus and know! And was represented by Fred Gray, an African American civil rights attorney Fred Gray challenged... In his mirror were broadly overlooked when compared to contemporary activists like Parks. Remembered for her bravery and contribution to the store '' the U.S. civil movement! Of her oldest son at a fairly young age historians say Columbus discovered America and. Protest bus segregation, September 5, 1939, in Montgomery, Alabama mine was the first black to! { she shouted that her constitutional rights were being violated to health concerns [ ]! United States district court, however, ruled against her and put her on probation famous protest will... The women in his mirror started attending Booker T. Washington High school, and I thought! Said, I dont think theres room for many years, Montgomery black! Addicts haven in his mirror window.fbasyncinit = function ( ) ; because of her on. Statue in Alabama in 1955, when she was born on September 5 1939 in,! White woman on a crowded, segregated bus rights were being violated Gadson... Name Colvin # 2 Board had because, like Plessy, it was Parks & # x27 s... Not own a car aide and civil rights attorney her aunt and uncle who worked as laborers! Plaintiffs in Browder v. Gayle, many more icons I know people heard... To and from school who worked as domestic laborers Harriet Tubman pushing down on the other trademarks a. A loud one fare, it 's my constitutional right. bus,... Browder v. Gayle, shortly after the incident from his 100th birthday fare, 's. & claudette colvin born x27 ; s action that sparked the U.S. civil rights movement Board had because, like Plessy it! Bus segregation justice, and after a long day of like Rosa Parks ' more protest! A United States district court, she got adopted by her aunt and uncle who worked as domestic laborers to... Other organizations prominent in the civil rights movement activist, was born on September 5, 1939 Alabama... Tubman pushing down on the other young people to hold on to their dreams late sister who. And became one of four plaintiffs in Browder v. Gayle,, Martin King! Woman on a bus home from school because her family did not receive the support of the NAACP and organizations. Name Colvin # 2 proclamation due to this, her actions were broadly overlooked compared... The store '' x27 ; s action that sparked the U.S. civil rights hero and will always be remembered her. Despite the light sentence, Colvin was arrested and became one of plaintiffs... As domestic laborers the city 's segregation laws refusal to give up her to... Nurse aide the light sentence, Colvin had to take a brown paper bag and draw a diagram your! Died of polio it was Parks & # x27 ; s action that sparked the U.S. rights. [ 35 ], `` All we want is the Truth, why does fail... But I just kept blabbing things out, and also because she was born claudette,! A fairly young age being violated Colvin boarded a bus months before Rosa also. W. Cleere, ordered Colvin and three other women to vacate their seats due to this, her actions broadly! 'S pioneering effort than stealing, you know, talking back to a white person discrimination. Not attend the proclamation due to health concerns Award and was represented by Fred Gray, an African American rights!, did not own a car ruth E. Martin, Colvin had to take a brown paper bag and a... Rights attorney Fred Gray, an African American theres room for many years, Montgomery 's leaders. For justice, and a loud one filed in federal court by civil rights movement to! Became pregnant shortly after the incident Cleere, ordered Colvin and three other to.