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Claudette Colvin’s name may not be easily recognized among the luminous heroes of the civil rights movement—such people as Martin Luther King, Jr, Rosa Parks and John Lewis. This wonderful picture book introduces readers to young Claudette in a compelling way, in a narrative echoing the “Because” in the title with a series of instances that had a ripple effect. Only 15 years old, Claudette began the ripple when she was arrested in March, 1955, refusing to give her seat on a public bus to a white person two years before Rosa Parks’s similar action initiated the Montgomery Bus Boycott. At the time of her arrest, Claudette’s parents obtained a lawyer who suggested she meet with Rosa Parks, then a member of the NAACP, an active civil rights organization. Ms. Parks and Claudette became good friends. As she learned more and more about historical heroes working for equality and women actively working for equal rights in the present, Claudette did not feel alone in her pursuit. When a young preacher named Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke at a local church, he inspired key citizens of Montgomery to take immediate action, and the ripple expanded outward. One person after another did their important parts to organize a bus boycott urging the mayor of Montgomery to change the law regarding sitting on the city's buses. Flyers were printed, people who normally rode the buses walked or shared rides to work, people far away donated money to the cause, and young Claudette was asked to testify in court about her experience and belief about equality. Claudette was so convincing, the judge changed the law, but the city of Montgomery and the state of Alabama refused to comply, and the bus boycott went on for well over a year. Finally, the issue was settled in a U. S. Supreme Court decision: “On December 21, 1956, anyone could sit wherever they liked on the bus.”
In Because Claudette, author Tracey Baptiste describes the journey begun by Claudette in a clear, matter-of-fact manner that allows readers to follow this important path of activism on the part of ordinary citizens. Tonya Engel’s luminous illustrations invite readers into the moments described, completing a riveting account of this important time in the history of civil rights. Ages 6-9. Dial Books for Young Readers, 2022.
Further information about the Montgomery Bus Boycott: https://www.nps.gov/articles/montgomery-bus-boycott.htm
