Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice

Claudette entered Booker T. Washington High, still eager to learn anything she could, but struggled at first due to grief over her sister Delphine. She was confused by the social dynamics of the high school. Although all the students were Black, the social hierarchy seemed to mirror the racism in the outside world. The students with the lightest skin and those who could straighten their hair into styles trendy among white people were the most popular, while dark-skinned, curly-haired girls like Claudette were automatically at the bottom of the social ladder. Claudette notes that the most popular girls were of diverse race. Students would use racial slurs to refer to themselves and each other, and seemed ashamed that they were not white. This upset Claudette, especially in her grieving state.

Everything changed in the school a few months into Claudette’s freshman year, when Jeremiah Reeves, a fellow King Hill resident who was a few years older than her, was accused of breaking into several homes and sexually assaulting seven white women. He confessed to one of the assaults, likely under duress by white police officers. He was given the death sentence, although he would sit in prison until he turned 21 and could legally be executed. This caused an uproar within the Black community of Montgomery (which included the young, still unknown pastor Martin Luther King, Jr.).

Jeremiah’s arrest sparked outrage at Booker T. Washington High in particular, where Jeremiah had been a senior and known for being an excellent drummer. His imprisonment led many students to activism, and caused Claudette to stop worrying about her social difficulties and dedicate herself to the fight for social justice across the South. Many rallied and campaigned for Jeremiah’s release alongside the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Claudette recalls her anger over the double standard that Jeremiah’s arrest made apparent; as a Black girl, she was constantly aware of her vulnerability, and was taught never to associate with white men. White men were never punished for any crimes against Black women, while her friend had been tried and convicted with the harshest adult punishment for a crime he likely did not commit. Although the NAACP helped push Jeremiah’s case to the United States Supreme Court, who called for a second trial, his conviction was ultimately upheld.

After her schoolmate’s second conviction, Claudette committed herself even more to expanding her knowledge, to apply it to the civil rights movement. She was especially inspired by two of her teachers, Miss Geraldine Nesbitt and Miss Josie Lawrence. Miss Nesbitt was committed to using her English classes to teach students about the realities of the world, examining how their own struggle was reflected in historical documents about other revolutionary causes. Since the school had very few resources, she brought most of her own books to share with the class. Miss Lawrence was Claudette’s first exposure to a person who was openly proud to be Black. She celebrated her dark skin and taught the students about African history. In February of 1955 during “Negro History Week,” the two teachers taught together and engaged students in detailed discussions about how racism operated in Montgomery.

When the Supreme Court banned school segregation at the end of Claudette’s sophomore year, many of her classmates felt resentful; they did not want to welcome white students into their space and sit next to them in class while the Black population continued to be subjugated. Claudette hoped that the influx of white students would bring better resources to the school to prepare her for college. She hoped to be a lawyer, a career path that was unavailable to Black students in the South. She became more and more dedicated to not just being angry about racism, but actually doing something about it. Just before the fateful day on the bus in March 1955, she says, “When my moment came, I was ready” (27).