Because fifteen-year-old Claudette Colvin didn’t give up her seat on the bus for a white person on March 2, 1955, she was arrested.
Because she was arrested, her parents asked a lawyer named Fred Gray for help. Mr. Gray wanted to know more about Claudette, so he asked fellow activist Rosa Parks to meet with her.
Because Mrs. Parks was a member of the civil rights group the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, or the NAACP, she invited Claudette to one of their youth meetings. Claudette liked the meetings and kept going.
Some nights the meetings ran late. When that happened, Claudette stayed at Mrs. Parks’ home. Claudette chatted while Mrs. Parks sewed, and the two became friends.
This was a good thing, because Claudette’s classmates were upset with her for causing trouble, and Claudette found herself more and more alone.
Comprehension Questions
1. Who did Claudette become friends with?
A. Harriet Tubman
B. Rosa Parks
C. Ida B Wells
2. Why did Claudette's parents ask Mr. Gray for help?
A. He was a lawyer
B. He was an important man
C. He was a doctor
A. He was a lawyer
B. He was an important man
C. He was a doctor
Your Thoughts
3. Did you like this excerpt? Why or why not?
Vocabulary
4. List any vocabulary words below.