ROSA PARKS & CLAUDETTE COLVIN

“Most people know Mrs. Parks, but few know who I am.”

This work of graphic nonfiction makes clear that the Montgomery Bus Boycott began not with Rosa Parks but with 15-year-old Claudette Colvin, who refused to give up her seat to a White woman on a crowded bus. It was then that she met Rosa Parks, who encouraged her to get involved with the NAACP Youth Council. Claudette was found guilty of breaking the segregation laws, but organizers opted not to rally around her (she was seen as “too young, too dark, and too poor”); instead the boycott was organized around Rosa Parks, who nine months later refused to give up her seat. Claudette was glad something was being done, but she felt pushed to the sidelines. The boycott was difficult, and there were threats and violence directed at those involved. For many years, Rosa Parks was the name associated with the bus boycott, but gradually, Claudette Colvin’s role in the actions and lawsuit that ended bus segregation became known. This book explores the many issues surrounding the Montgomery Bus Boycott, such as the age, gender, and class barriers that factored into decisions and the internal struggles that those involved in the movement grappled with. The choice to tell the story through Claudette’s eyes will appeal to young readers, as will the colorful comic drawings that highlight the actions and feelings.

A valuable addition to the growing swath of graphic novels drawing attention to civil rights history.