Civil Rights Pioneer Dead at 86

Civil Rights icon Claudette Colvin died at the age of 86, her family confirmed on Tuesday, January 13.

“It is with profound sadness that the Claudette Colvin Foundation and family announce the passing of Claudette Colvin, a beloved mother, grandmother, and civil rights pioneer. She leaves behind a legacy of courage that helped change the course of American history,” the family’s statement, shared via her foundation’s website, began.

The statement continued, “To us, she was more than a historical figure. She was the heart of our family, wise, resilient, and grounded in faith. We will remember her laughter, her sharp wit, and her unwavering belief in justice and human dignity.”

Colvin was born in September 1939 in Montgomery, Alabama. She became a pioneer of the Civil Rights movement from an early age. At just 15, Colvin was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white woman on a segregated bus, nine months before Rosa Parks.

“I didn’t think I would be arrested. I knew there was some action that would take place,” she told WSFA in 2015. “Most people ask me why didn’t you get up when the bus driver asked you to get up. I say I couldn’t get up because history had me glued to my seat.”

Colvin was one of four plaintiffs in the Supreme Court case Browder v. Gayle, which challenged bus segregation in Montgomery, Alabama.

“The case was successful, thus impacting public transportation throughout the United States, including trains, airplanes, and taxis,” her family’s statement continued.

Following the court case, she relocated with her son, Raymond, to New York City in 1958. There, she gave birth to her second son, Randy.

She worked as a nurse’s aide in a nursing home for 35 years before retiring in 2004.

Colvin is survived by her son Randy, and her four grandchildren. Raymond died of a heart attack in 1993.