Civil rights pioneer Claudette Colvin is born in Montgomery, Alabama.
At a Glance
- Date
- 5 September 1939
- Location
- Montgomery, Alabama
- Key people
- Claudette Colvin
- Category
- Civil Rights Movement
- Source
- Browder v. Gayle records (1956) · Britannica
What It Meant Then
At fifteen she refused to give up her bus seat months before Rosa Parks, and became a plaintiff in the case that desegregated the buses.
What It Means Now
Colvin is increasingly recognized as an overlooked catalyst of the movement.
Cite this page
- MLA
- “Claudette Colvin Is Born.” Black-History.com, 30 Sept. 2026, https://black-history.com/on-this-day/claudette-colvin-is-born/.
- APA
- Black-History.com Editors. (2026, September 30). Claudette Colvin Is Born. Black-History.com. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/claudette-colvin-is-born/
- Chicago
- Black-History.com Editors. “Claudette Colvin Is Born.” Black-History.com. September 30, 2026. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/claudette-colvin-is-born/.
Editorial Note
By the Black-History.com editors. Last reviewed 30 September 2026. To suggest a primary source or a correction, write to editors@black-history.com or use our corrections form.