Claudette Colvin (born September 5, 1939) is an African American woman who played a crucial role in the civil rights movement in the United States. Before Rosa Parks became widely known for her refusal to give up her bus seat to a white passenger in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955, Claudette Colvin had taken a similar stand.

On March 2, 1955, at the age of 15, Colvin was commuting home from high school on a city bus when she refused to give up her seat to a white passenger. She was arrested, charged with violating segregation laws, and taken to jail. Colvin’s act of civil disobedience predated Rosa Parks’ famous protest by nine months.

Colvin’s case, however, did not receive the same attention and support as Rosa Parks’ case. Some factors contributed to this, including Colvin’s age and her pregnancy at the time. The leaders of the civil rights movement were concerned that Colvin’s circumstances might not present the best image for their cause, and they chose Rosa Parks as a more suitable symbol for the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

The Montgomery Bus Boycott, a pivotal event in the civil rights movement, began on December 5, 1955, when Rosa Parks, a seamstress and secretary of the local NAACP chapter, was arrested for refusing to give up her seat. The boycott, organized by leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., lasted for over a year and eventually led to the desegregation of the bus system in Montgomery.

Claudette Colvin’s contributions were largely overshadowed by the subsequent events, but her courage and refusal to accept racial injustice were significant. Colvin moved to New York City, where she worked as a nurse’s aide. In recent years, her role in the civil rights movement has gained more recognition, and she has been acknowledged for her early stand against segregation and discrimination.