Civil Rights Pioneer Claudette Colvin Passes Away at 86

Wed Jan 14 2026 02:08:33 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Claudette Colvin, a key figure in the American civil rights movement known for her courageous stand against segregation, has died at the age of 86. Colvin’s actions in 1955, which preceded the more famous protest by Rosa Parks, were pivotal in the fight for equality.

Claudette Colvin, who was arrested in 1955 for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white passenger, has passed away at the age of 86. Her death was confirmed by the Claudette Colvin Legacy Foundation. Colvin, only 15 at the time, became a crucial figure in the civil rights movement and was a plaintiff in the landmark case that ended racial segregation on Montgomery's buses.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Claudette Colvin, whose 1955 arrest for refusing to give up her seat on a segregated Montgomery bus helped spark the modern civil rights movement, has died. She was 86.

Her death was announced Tuesday by the Claudette Colvin Legacy Foundation. Ashley D. Roseboro of the organization confirmed she died in Texas.

Colvin was arrested months before Rosa Parks gained international fame for her own refusal to give up her seat on a segregated bus. On March 2, 1955, a bus driver reported to police that two Black girls were sitting near two white girls, violating segregation laws. One of the Black girls complied and moved, but Colvin, at just 15 years old, stood her ground and was subsequently arrested.

Colvin's bravery led her to become a named plaintiff in the challenge against Montgomery's bus segregation laws, contributing significantly to the civil rights movement.