She Refused To Give Up Her Seat, And Still Has A Criminal Record

Young Claudette Colvin
Zain Murdock
November 4, 2021

In 1955, 15-year-old Claudette Colvin was charged with assaulting a police officer after refusing to relinquish her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama bus. Later, she became a star witness in Browder v. Gayle, which effectively integrated the busing system. This is how she should be remembered.

But after nearly seven decades, Colvin’s bravery still leaves her with a criminal record. 

Now a mother and grandmother, Colvin’s fighting for expungement, hoping to not only clear her record, but solidify her place in history. But why was this still on her record in the first place? And why do so many still not know Claudette Colvin’s name?

From colorism to texturism to shaming her for her teen pregnancy, Colvin’s story was neglected in favor of the more “respectable” Rosa Parks. And her record stuck. 

But will it get expunged?

Actually, yes! Montgomery County’s chief prosecutor sided with Colvin, whose family worried for years that police could arrest her whenever they wanted, failing to officiate the end of her probation. So for a while, Colvin worried that the answer would be no. And not without reason.

How can the criminal legal system bring us justice today when it's still so behind on repairing the injustices of yesterday? It can’t. Colvin undoubtedly deserves this joy, but unfortunately the system will continue to generate new records, and new brutalities, tomorrow.

We have a quick favor to ask:

PushBlack is a nonprofit dedicated to raising up Black voices. We are a small team but we have an outsized impact:

  • We reach tens of millions of people with our BLACK NEWS & HISTORY STORIES every year.
  • We fight for CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM to protect our community.
  • We run VOTING CAMPAIGNS that reach over 10 million African-Americans across the country.

And as a nonprofit, we rely on small donations from subscribers like you.

With as little as $5 a month, you can help PushBlack raise up Black voices. It only takes a minute, so will you please ?

Share This Article: