Claudette Colvin, whose 1955 arrest for refusing to give up her seat on a segregated Montgomery bus helped spark the modern civil rights movement, has died. The first rows were reserved for white passengers. Colvin sat in the rear with other Black passengers. When the white section became full, the bus driver ordered Black passengers to relinquish their seats to white passengers. Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed said Colvin's action "helped lay the legal and moral foundation for the movement that would change America."

Source: CBC News January 14, 2026 23:08 UTC