LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Claudette Colvin for her ceaseless dedi-
cation to the Civil Rights Movement

WHEREAS, It is with profound intent that this Legislative Body is moved
to pay homage to a woman of indomitable faith and dedication whose
purposeful life and accomplishments will forever stand as a paradigm and
inspiration for others; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to give acclaim to
individuals of great character whose lives exemplify the highest ideals
of humanity; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor
Claudette Colvin for her ceaseless dedication to the Civil Rights Move-
ment; and
WHEREAS, Born on September 5, 1939, Claudette Colvin, who some histo-
rians say is the "Mother of the modern Civil Rights Movement", is an
African-American woman from Montgomery, Alabama; and
WHEREAS, Claudette Colvin grew up in one of Montgomery's poorer neigh-
borhoods; she studied hard at school, earning mostly A's in her classes
and even aspired to become President one day; and
WHEREAS, In 1955, Claudette Colvin was a student at Booker T. Washing-
ton High School in Montgomery, Alabama; her family owned a car, but she
relied on the city's gold-and-green buses to get to school; on March 2,
1955, she was coming home from school when she got on a Capital Heights
bus downtown at the same place Rosa Parks boarded another bus months
later; and
WHEREAS, Claudette Colvin was sitting about two seats from the emer-
gency exit when four other passengers boarded the bus; the bus driver
ordered her along with three other black passengers to get up; she
refused and was removed from the bus by two police officers; and
WHEREAS, Claudette Colvin was handcuffed, arrested and forcibly
removed from the bus; she screamed that her constitutional rights were
being violated; at the time, Colvin was active in the NAACP's Youth
Council, and was actually being advised by Rosa Parks; and
WHEREAS, Nearly a year later, on February 1, 1956, Claudette Colvin
was one of four black women who served as plaintiffs in a federal court
suit, known as Browder v. Gayle, which became the legal vehicle when the
United States Supreme Court declared bus segregation unconstitutional in
December 1956; the Parks arrest case, while sparking the boycott, was a
state case; and
WHEREAS, In 1958, Claudette Colvin left Alabama for New York City, and
for over 30 years worked the night shift at a Catholic nursing home; she
retired in 2004, after 35 years of working as a nurse's assistant in the
nursing home; and
WHEREAS, With her throughout have been her two sons, Raymond and
Randy, both of whom feel privileged to be a part of her life and rejoice
in her achievements; and
WHEREAS, Our society is greatly benefited by the purposeful efforts of
individuals who unite for the cause of improving the quality of life for
others, and who proactively work toward the goal of dignity for all; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when individ-
uals of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our atten-
tion, it is appropriate to publicly proclaim and commend those individ-
uals for the edification and emulation of others; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Claudette Colvin for her ceaseless dedication to the Civil Rights
Movement; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Claudette Colvin.