Claudette Colvin, unsung US civil rights pioneer, passes away at age 86

Claudette Colvin, a 15-year-old girl who sparked the modern civil rights movement in the US after refusing to give up her seat on a segregated bus, has died at the age of 86. According to her legacy foundation, Colvin passed away due to natural causes in Texas.

On March 2, 1955, Colvin was detained by police after a bus driver reported that two Black girls were sitting near two white women in violation of segregation laws. Colvin refused to move when asked, leading to her arrest and brief imprisonment for disturbing public order.

The following year, Colvin became one of four Black female plaintiffs who filed a lawsuit challenging segregated bus seating in Montgomery. The case was successful, impacting public transportation throughout the US, including trains, aeroplanes, and taxis.

Colvin’s actions occurred at a time of growing frustration over how Black people were being treated on Montgomery’s bus system. Her arrest preceded that of Rosa Parks, who gained international fame for refusing to give up her seat nine months later.

The Claudette Colvin Legacy Foundation stated that she leaves behind a legacy of courage that helped change the course of American history. Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed said Colvin’s action “helped lay the legal and moral foundation for the movement that would change America”.

In recent news, President Donald Trump has made comments suggesting that civil rights-era protections resulted in white people being treated unfairly. The NAACP has responded to these claims, stating that Trump is “lying through his teeth”.

Source: Al Jazeera