A review by graypeape
History Comics: Rosa Parks and Claudette Colvin: Civil Rights Heroes by Tracey Baptiste

challenging informative medium-paced

5.0

Pretty much everyone has heard of Rosa Parks, but not as many people know that she was not the first person to be arrested for refusing to give up their seat on a bus to a white person. That distinction goes to Claudette Colvin, who, on March 2, 1955 was arrested and forcibly removed from the bus she was on for not giving her seat to a white woman. Rosa Parks was the person who became the face of the Montgomery bus boycott (and honestly was the better choice for the role), but Colvin was part of the court case Browder v. Gayle that ended up before the Supreme Court, leading to the decision that ruled the Alabama and Montgomery laws that segregated buses were unconstitutional. It is disappointing to say the least that Colvin didn't receive the recognition she deserved at the time these events were happening; fortunately she has received that recognition more and more in the years since. This important story adds context to the Montgomery bus boycott, and would be a welcome addition to any library, public, school, or home.