American Literature

Racism has existed throughout the history of mankind in various forms and has lead to the exploitation of people belonging to the race which has been considered as inferior by the society or the nation. It has also provoked the people, who are subjected to racism and segregation, to stand up and fight for their rights. The U.S civil rights movement is one such episode in the American history, during which the blacks fought for their civil rights and succeeded in gaining an equal status in the society. One of the important contributions to the U.S Civil Rights movement came from an unlikely source. Claudette Colvin, a black teenager, refused to vacate her seat in a bus for a white woman in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955. Later, Colvin agreed to be a plaintiff in the court case which led to the end of segregation of blacks in the buses of Montgomery. Although Colvin played a significant role in the civil rights movement of her city, history has overlooked the contribution of Colvin. The book Claudette Colvin Twice Toward Justice by Philip Hoose depicts this unknown aspect of history by bringing forth the story of Claudette Colvin in a comprehensive manner and interesting style.

The Book 
The book Claudette Colvin Twice Toward Justice by Philip Hoose presents the story of Claudette Colvin, a black teenage girl who dared to defy the rules of her society The author also provides a detailed picture of circumstances in which Colvin led her life. In between, the author also includes the interviews of Colvin, in which Colvin describes her life experiences and thoughts.  Living in a period when segregation of black people was the norm in the American

society, Colvin learned about the inferior position of blacks at a very young age of four. The book opens with Colvins narration of an incident which made Colvin aware of her inferior status in the society and the fact that she not allowed to touch a white person. Thats how I learned I should never touch a white person again. (Hoose 3). Giving the example of Colvin, the author continues to present the circumstances in which the black people led their lives during the period of 1940s and 1950s.  The lives of blacks were controlled by Jim Crow, whose laws segregated them from the white people in all the public places. Jim Crow kept the blacks and whites from learning together, playing or eating meals together, working or riding in buses or trains together, worshipping with one another, even going up and down in the same elevator or throwing a ball back and forth in the same park. (Hoose 6). Even though the blacks despised these laws, they followed these laws as there was no other alternative before them. But one girl garnered the courage to stand up for her rights and refused to yield in to the unfair demands of the white people, and this girl was none other than Claudette Colvin.

While riding in a bus, Colvin was demanded to vacate her seat for a white woman but Colvin refused to get up from her seat, for she had made up her mind to fight for her rights. The incident is presented in the book through the narration of Colvin itself. As Colvin narrates about her thoughts during her act of defiance, the reader becomes aware of the determination and courage of a teenage girl who rebels against the discriminatory rules of the white people. I was thinking, Why should I have to get up just because a driver tells me to, or just because Im black Right then, I decided I wasnt gonna take it anymore. I hadnt planned it out, but my decision was built on a lifetime of nasty experiences. (Hoose 78). Even though Colvin was arrested and supported by the civil rights leaders of her city, Colvin was later ignored by these
leaders, as they thought that she was too young to represent the civil rights movement. Colvins first attempt to gain justice failed to yield any results but this did not deter Colvin from standing up for her rights the second time. Colvin got her second chance during the bus boycott which was instigated by Rosa Parks. In spite of her personal problems of unwed pregnancy, a police record and eviction from her school, Colvin agreed to be one of the plaintiffs in the Browder vs. Gayle case. As this case led to the integration of blacks in the buses of Montgomery, Colvins contribution to the civil rights movement was noteworthy but history fails to give the due credit to Claudette Colvin.

Through this book, Hoose sheds light on the efforts of a teenage girl whose contribution to the civil rights movement has been overlooked by the historians and the common people. By including Colvins narration regarding her experiences of segregation and the problems in her personal life, the author provides an insight to the thoughts and views of Colvin. Not just limiting himself to the narration of Colvins story, Hoose incorporates the depiction of racist attitude of the white people and the detrimental effect it had on the lives of the black people through an array of photographs and newspaper articles. The images of segregated public places in the photographs bring forth the racist attitude harbored by the whites towards the black people.  The author shows how the whites enforced segregation on the blacks through various means. The races were segregated by a dense, carefully woven web of laws, signs, partitions, arrows, ordinances, unequal opportunities, rules, threats and customs-often backed up by violence. (Hoose 5). As the book details the circumstances in which Colvin defied the demand of a white woman and agreed to be a plaintiff in a momentous case, the reader is able to realize the courage displayed by Colvin.  

The extensive research that was conducted by the author while writing this book is evident in the in-depth analysis provided by the author  regarding the social and economic conditions in which the  black people led their lives. As the author also includes the interviews of Colvin, the thoughts and opinions of a teenage girl, who challenged the domination of the white people, are presented in the book in her own words. Hoose utilizes a simple language and lucid style to present the story of Colvin and its historical background. The photographs and newspaper articles included by Hoose in his book stand as testimony to the segregated lives of black people. The book presents an account of Colvins courageous acts during the U.S Civil Rights Movement in an interesting manner which captures the attention of the reader and makes himher aware of an unknown aspect of history. Although the book depicts the entire life of Colvin in Montgomery, it fails to provide any information about her life and views after she moved out of Montgomery.

The book Claudette Colvin Twice Toward Justice by Philip Hoose brings forth the story of a black teenage girl, Claudette Colvin whose significant contributions to U.S. Civil Rights movement has been ignored in the American history. Along with the depiction of Colvins story, the author incorporates the social and economic conditions in which the black people led their lives during the period of 1950s and 1960s. With the aid of photographs, newspaper articles and Colvins interviews, the author takes the reader in a period where blacks were segregated in all the public places. This book makes the reader aware of the courage of Claudette Colvin and the difference brought about by her efforts in the lives of black people.