Before Rosa Parks there was Claudette Colvin. She actually sat at the front of the bus (as opposed to Rosa Parks who sat in the African American section) and her situation became park of a court case. But why did history remember Parks and not Colvin. Perhaps, as the article points out, because she got pregnant at 15 shortly after the incident and made less of a perfect civil rights figure. If you have the time, it might be fun for your students to look back at historical events and see why they became known.
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One of my favorite times in American History would have to be the 1960’s Civil Rights movement, because many positive changes came about for the African American communities. When I teach civil rights I like to incorporate a lot of pictures, videos, and audio so that students can make the connection to time periods. After watching this video I will include it in my lesson plans, because students are not that aware that Claudette Colvin had refused to give up her seat nine months before Rosa Parks did. This video is a must for all teachers that are teaching this time period in American History. I love the 1960’s Civil Rights movement because also the Chicano movement began the Civil Rights movement for Mexican-Americans in the United States!
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