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Claudette Colvin was just 15 years old when she made a stand against racial segregation by refusing to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. This act of defiance occurred nine months before Rosa Parks' similar protest. Colvin's actions led to her arrest and subsequent involvement as one of the four plaintiffs in the landmark case Browder v. Gayle, which ultimately declared Montgomery's segregated bus system unconstitutional.
After these events, Colvin moved to New York City, where she worked as a nurse's aide until her retirement in 2004. In 2021, her juvenile record was cleared.
Now 85 years old and residing in Texas, Colvin has continued to share her story. In 2024, she collaborated with Phillip Hoose to publish "Claudette Colvin: I Want Freedom Now." She is also the author of "No Fear Here" and "I Do Not Fear," published in 2022. Her life and experiences have been documented in numerous books available for readers.
