Civil rights activist Claudette Colvin
Photo: Vasha Hunt/AP/TT

Civil rights activist Claudette Colvin has died at 86

American civil rights activist Claudette Colvin has died at age 86. Colvin was seen as one of the pioneers of the modern civil rights movement.

Several months before Rosa Parks became internationally famous for her action on a segregated bus in Alabama, Colvin had been arrested for a similar protest - she was 15 at the time.

In March 1955, she refused to give up her seat on the bus in violation of segregation laws and was arrested by police.

Her legal case was taken to the Supreme Court and formed the basis for new legislation that banned segregated public transportation.

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AuthorTT News AgencyEnglish edition by Sweden Herald, adapted for our readers
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