Claudette Colvin, who refused to give up her bus seat to a White woman, dies

Jan. 14 (UPI) -- Claudette Colvin, a civil rights activist who was arrested in 1955 for refusing to give up her bus seat to a White woman in segregated Alabama, has died, according to her foundation. She was 86.

"It is with profound sadness that the Claudette Colvin Foundation and family announced the passing of Claudette Colvin, a beloved mother, grandmother and civil rights pioneer," the Claudette Colvin Foundation said in a statement Tuesday.

"She leaves behind a legacy of courage that helped change the course of American history."

The cause of death was not stated.

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She died Tuesday in hospice care in Texas, according to Roseboro Holdings, which represents the Claudette Colvin Foundation, The New York Times reported.

Born Sept. 5, 1939, in Birmingham, Ala., Colvin made history when at the age of 15 she refused to give up her seat to a White woman on March 2, 1955 -- nine months before Rosa Parks was arrested for performing a similar act of resistance.

Her arrest would lead to her being one of four Black female plaintiffs in a case challenging bus segregation in Montgomery.

Known as Browder vs. Gayle, the case was successful at the federal district court and was reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court, which sided with the lower court in 1956 that segregation on public buses was unconstitutional.

According to her foundation, Colvin's act of civil disobedience has become known "as her greatest achievement in life."

However, her juvenile arrest record and adjudication of delinquency from the event would remain until December of 2021 when a judge ordered the records to be destroyed.

Colvin worked for three decades as a nursing assistant at a Catholic Nursing Home and was the mother of two sons, the grandmother of five grandchildren and the great-grandmother of seven great grandchildren.

"To us, she was more than a historical figure. She was the heart of our family, wise, resilient and grounded in faith," her foundation said.

"We will remember her laughter, her sharp wit and her unwavering belief in justice and human dignity."

Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., called Colvin "an unsung yet significant hero of the civil rights movement."

"Her courage paved the way for Rosa Parks' decision and the launching of a movement that would end segregation," he said in a statement.

"Her memory is a blessing, her legacy lives on."

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