Claudette Colvin was born on September 5, 1939, in Montgomery, Alabama. Colvin studied hard, especially because she grew up in the poorest part of Montgomery’s neighborhoods. Claudette Colvin is known for the same reason as Rosa Parks, except Colvin refused to give up her seat to a white person, months before Rosa Parks did. On March 2, 1955, Colvin was going home on the city bus, and the bus driver told her to give her seat to a white passenger but Colvin refused.

“It’s my constitutional right to sit here as much as that lady,” said Colvin. “I paid my fare, it’s my constitutional right.”

Colvin wouldn’t break her barrier, she wasn’t scared to state her rights. Colvin was arrested with several charges including when she violated the city’s segregation laws. Many black leaders, including Rosa Parks, gathered enough money to bail Colvin out of jail. Colvin and Rosa were really close and both discussed about the city’s segregation laws, Rosa encouraged Colvin to be a strong young lady and stand up for her rights.