Elementary school children know the name of Rosa Parks who refused to give up her seat on a bus and is revered for her courage in leading the resistance of discrimination and segregation in America. But how many know the name of Claudette Colvin who in 1955 refused to give up her seat to a white woman in just the same way in Alabama. Why don't we know her name? Where is her book? Here is her powerful story about her courage and her rejection by her peers and the black leaders of Montgomery, Alabama. This is a story of a young girl who knew what was right and with great determination claimed her place on the bus and in the courtroom as part of a busing case Browder v. Gayle. Great story of a brilliant role model.
160 pages 978-0374302368 Ages 11-15
Recommended by: Barb Langridge, abookandahug.com
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"It's my constitutional right!" screamed Claudette Colvin as she was dragged off a segregated city bus in Montgomery, Alabama, after refusing to give up her seat to a white woman. It was March 2, 1955―nine months before Rosa Parks took a similar stand. But instead of being celebrated as Parks was, Colvin was shunned by her classmates and dismissed by community leaders. Undaunted, a year later she dared to challenge segregation again as a key plaintiff in Browder v. Gayle, the landmark case that did for transportation what Brown v. The Board of Education did for education.
Called "unforgettable" by The Wall Street Journal, this outstanding, ground-breaking account of an almost forgotten civil rights pioneer garnered praise and accolades, including a National Book Award, a Newbery Honor, and a Robert F. Sibert Book. As The New York Times said in a glowing review, Hoose "finally gives [Colvin] the credit she deserves."--from the publisher
