By Micah Jonah
January 14, 2026
Claudette Colvin, whose refusal at age 15 to give up her seat to a white woman on a segregated Montgomery bus helped spark the modern civil rights movement, has died of natural causes in Texas.
Colvin was arrested on March 2, 1955, nine months before Rosa Parks’ famous protest. Her courage in defying segregation laws at such a young age became a cornerstone of the fight for equality in the United States. She later joined a legal challenge against bus segregation, a case that reshaped public transportation rules nationwide.
Montgomery Mayor, Steven Reed described Colvin as a pioneer whose bravery was too often overlooked. The Claudette Colvin Legacy Foundation said she leaves behind a lasting legacy of courage that helped change the course of American history.
Her arrest and activism set the stage for the Montgomery Bus Boycott and propelled Reverend Martin Luther King Jr into national prominence, marking the beginning of the modern civil rights era.
Civil rights groups continue to warn that recent political moves could threaten the progress achieved since Colvin’s time. NAACP President, Derrick Johnson criticized claims by former US President Donald Trump suggesting civil rights protections caused unfair treatment of white people, calling them deliberately misleading and harmful to underserved communities.
Colvin’s life stands as a reminder that monumental change often begins quietly and at great personal cost.
