If you want to learn more about Claudette Colvin and Civil Rights history, either to deepen your discussion with your child[ren] or just to learn more, check out these resources we’ve compiled:
How to talk to children about racism
Here’s a short article we wrote to help support you in talking to your child:
More information about Claudette Colvin and her story
Claudette telling her story in her words; notice that she mentions the heroes she learned about from her community that inspired her to be a hero herself!
Background: Jim Crow Laws, or the laws and social practices which enforced racial discrimination and segregation
The lynching of Emmett Till, which happened later the same year as Claudette’s arrest, another case involving a teenager that drove forward the Civil Right Movement:
A timeline of the Civil Rights movement: The History Channel lives up to its name, giving a breakdown of major events with many links to learn more about each.
Physiological and psychological effects of racism: though we didn’t know it in the 1950s, experiencing racism (particularly constant, pervasive racism like that around Claudette) wears on our physical, mental, and emotional health.