Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice

Claudette’s arrest quickly gained nationwide attention among Black people—including local activist Jo Ann Robinson, who was president of the Women’s Political Council (WPC), an organization of Black female Montgomery professionals. In the 1950s, Robinson and the WPC had succeeded in persuading white business owners to include “Mr.,” “Mrs.,” or “Miss” on communications with Black customers, a step toward increased respect for adults in the Black community. Robinson had had her own run-in with a bus driver in 1949, shortly after moving to Montgomery. She was forced off of a bus for accidentally sitting in a white-only seat, narrowly escaping a physical assault by the driver. The incident would not leave her mind, and she began keeping a record of anecdotes from Black Montgomery residents about their own humiliating interactions with bus drivers. In 1954, Robinson arranged meetings with bus companies and city officials, and wrote a letter to the Montgomery mayor, in an attempt to bring Montgomery’s bus rules in line with other Southern cities. Despite Robinson’s efforts, there was no positive movement on the matter, even when she mentioned that several Black organizations planned to boycott the bus system if nothing changed.

When Claudette returned to school, she was celebrated by some classmates and teachers and met with skepticism by others, who believed her actions would make life harder for them.