Born in 1939 in Montgomery, Alabama, Colvin grew up in a poor, heavily segregated Alabama. She knew firsthand the injustices of the world and quickly grew fed up with it. Day after day, Colvin relied on the city bus to get to school and back. On her way home, March 2, 1955, a few white passengers had boarded and the bus driver told her and three others to get up, despite there being other available seats. Colvin refused to get up, resulting in an arrest by two aggressive police officers. The African American community was outraged and fought for her--but she was largely swept under the rug because she didn't have "good hair" or "good skin." Also, she later became pregnant as a teenager. However, she and 3 other women teamed up in Browder v. Gayle, declaring the unconstitutionality of Montgomery's segregation.
No comments:
Post a Comment