The Girl Who Acted Before Rosa Parks

Claudette Colvin is one of the unsung heroes of the American civil rights movement. As a teenager, Claudette refused to give up her seat on a bus for a white passenger. Nine months later, when Rosa Parks did the same thing, she inspired a revolution. So why wasn't Claudette recognised? She talks to Matthew Bannister about her extraordinary life. Image: (L) Claudette Colvin as a teenager and (R) Claudette Colvin now Credit: (L) Alamy and (R) New York Times/Redux/Eyevine