Who are Claudette Colvin and Elizabeth Jennings Graham?

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The United States has undergone many changes in terms of how Black people are represented in legislation. However, U.S. history, including Black history, continues to be whitewashed, and certain events and figures are completely omitted from the accounts that are described in schools. One of those instances is the extent to which Rosa Parks is highlighted in history classes while other Black women who stood up to segregation in the same way are often overlooked, such as Claudette Colvin and Elizabeth Jennings Graham.

The Woman Who Refused to Leave a Whites-Only Streetcar - JSTOR Daily

Elizabeth Jennings Graham

Both Claudete and Elizabeth stood up to segregation in public transit in their respective periods, but they are rarely even mentioned in U.S. history classes. Some may argue that this may be due to the impact that their actions actually had on the civil rights. However, Claudette was one of the few people to actually challenge the legal system when she was arrested and put on trial; and Elizabeth Jennings Graham's trial led to the desegregation of public transit in New York City. Therefore, there is no strong reason as to why they should be overlooked in our teaching of Black history.

Claudette Colvin - Wikipedia

Claudette Colvin

Both of these figures had a big impact on the course of the Civil Rights Movement regardless of their ages or time periods and should be included in U.S. history classes. Our understanding of both Claudette and Elizabeth's stories along with the stories of other people that have been overlooked can help students gain a deeper understanding of the struggles that Black people have faced and continue to face today, which in turn can help us understand what we can do to continue our growth as a country.

Comments

  1. UnknownNovember 8, 2021 at 11:58 AM

    This is a very good topic and there have been many instances where the education system is whitewashed. I wonder why they chose Rosa Parks as the main figure for this movement, and what they're trying to hide about Claudette and Elizabeth? - Irene

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