US EditionClaudette Colvin, civil rights pioneer on a Montgomery bus, dies at 86
Colvin’s 1955 bus protest as a 15-year-old led to the landmark Browder v. Gayle case that ended segregation on Montgomery buses; her juvenile arrest was expunged in 2021.
- The Claudette Colvin Legacy Foundation confirmed Tuesday that Claudette Colvin, Montgomery civil rights pioneer, died in Texas at 86, known for her 1955 arrest that helped spark the civil rights movement.
- A bus driver called police after Colvin refused to move, leading to her arrest in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955, nine months before Rosa Parks.
- As a plaintiff in Browder v. Gayle, Colvin helped challenge segregated Montgomery buses, leading to a landmark case that ended bus segregation and influenced national transportation.
- Her juvenile court records were expunged in 2021, though her family had thought indefinite probation continued because the court never informed them, and Fred Gray served as attorney for the plaintiffs.
- Colvin's family remembered her, saying `She was the heart of our family, wise, resilient and grounded in faith.`, and the Claudette Colvin Foundation said memorial details will be shared later.
359 Articles
359 Articles
Claudette Colvin, Trailblazing Civil Rights Figure, Dies at 86
On January 13, 2026, the world said a final goodbye to Claudette Colvin, a woman whose teenage act of defiance served as the quiet, steel-willed foundation of the American Civil Rights Movement. Passing away at the age of 86 in Texas, Colvin leaves behind a legacy that for decades remained in the shadows of history, […] The post Claudette Colvin, Trailblazing Civil Rights Figure, Dies at 86 appeared first on The Black Wall Street Times.
Bloomington-Normal activists honor Claudette Colvin's legacy
Civil rights activists in Bloomington-Normal are remembering Claudette Colvin, who at 15 refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama, and was later one of four plaintiffs in the landmark Browder v. Gayle Supreme Court decision that ended Alabama bus segregation.
The death of black US civil rights activist Claudette Colvin, who was the first to refuse to release her seat for whites.
Claudette Colvin, civil rights pioneer, dies in Texas - Los Angeles Wave Newspaper Group
Wave Staff Report Claudette Colvin, whose 1955 arrest for refusing to give up her seat on a segregated Montgomery bus proceeded Rosa Parks by nine months and helped spark the modern civil rights movement, has died. She was 86. Her death was announced Jan. 13 by the Claudette Colvin Legacy Foundation. Ashley D. Roseboro of the organization confirmed she died in Texas. “It is with profound sadness that the Claudette Colvin Foundation and family an…
The Legacy Claudette Colvin Leaves Behind
By Rayna Reid Rayford ·Updated January 14, 2026 Getting your Trinity Audio player ready… Before Rosa Parks, there was Claudette Colvin. The civil rights pioneer who was only 15 years old when she refused to move her seat on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama, nine months before Rosa Parks’ arrest, died on Tuesday (Jan 13).Roseboro Holdings, representing the Claudette Colvin Foundation, confirmed the 86-year-old’s death while in hospice care…
Claudette Colvin, who refused to move before the nation was ready, dies at 86
Claudette Colvin, who refused to give up her seat on a segregated Montgomery bus at age 15—months before Rosa Parks—has died at 86. Though her arrest did not immediately spark a boycott, her courage helped lay the groundwork for the Civil Rights Movement, including her pivotal role as a plaintiff in Browder v. Gayle, the Supreme Court case that ended bus segregation in Alabama.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 57% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
