March 2 is Claudette Colvin DAY! We will honor the 70th Anniversary of Claudette Colvin’s brave act in the Civil Rights Movement. All ages are welcome to learn her hidden story with special guests who know her well! FREE and open to the public at 3:00pm in Ceremonial Hall.
In March 2020, ETHICAL held its first annual Claudette Colvin Festival as the inaugural event for an Intergenerational 1:3o series, called FIRST SUNDAYS. We called this special event the “HI-STORY” project, to invite people to dig into history for hidden stories! Why?
Because the story of Claudette Colvin is one such story!
Here is her story as a song — a “wheels on the bus” song! It’s actually the new version of a familiar story — the one we all know as the Montgomery Bus Boycott story, usually associated with Rosa Parks. But all stories have stories beneath them… so dig! Digging into this story, is exactly what author Phillip Hoose did in seeking a story that reveals how kids make a difference! He dug into history and found some clues that pointed toward a teenage Claudette Colvin whose actions, early in 1955, both planted seeds and brought in the harvest for this famous event. Mr. Hoose reached out to Ms. Colvin and together, in 2009, they published a story that literally changes history!
Even in 1955, what YEE aptly calls Fairness February was deemed a time to study “Black History”. But just as this month of March that follows, suggests in its own name, after you learn about the inequities and injustices of American racial history, it’s time to stand up for what you’ve learned! … and that’s just what 15 year old Claudette Colvin did on March 2, 1955!!!!!
Her cross-racial collaboration with Phillip Hoose is a gift to the world: a book called TWICE TOWARD JUSTICE. Since this publication, many children’s books have followed suit to honor her legacy.
