Claudette Colvin

The one thing that really grabbed my attention in this book were the little black boxes to the side with extra information and the pictures. I feel like the extra information was really important to the book because it describes the issues going on during the 1940s & 1950s. I also loved the quotes because they come from all different people. I always remember during Black History Month, that most teachers only talk about Martin Luther King Jr. This book is great for young adults because Colvin was also a teenager when she decided to stand up for herself.

One sentence that really stuck out to me was: "Jim Crow controlled your life from womb to tomb." This is actually on the first page, but it got me thinking a lot after I finished reading the book. During the 40s & 50s, Jim Crow laws really did control the lives of African Americans. It was a constant sore in their lives, and it is really disappointing to know that, as a nation, this was accepted.

Another quote that was in the book that stood out to me was by Harriet Tubman and it was at the beginning of Chapter 6. It says: "I had crossed the line. I was free; but there was no one to welcome me to the land of freedom. I was a stranger in a strange land." This quote even applies today and reminds me of the new law in Arizona where they made it legal for police officers to ask to see proof that foreigners are legal citizens; even when you believe you are free, you are still being mistreated. People like to think they are accepting of all people, but most are not. Today, there are still prejudices, even though we are all "free."

Even though Colvin was shunned by her own people, I think that she was/is very brave. I do not think, even at 23, that I could do something like that. Everyone could take advice from Colvin, and stand up for what we believe in. We all like to think that we use our voice, but in fact, most of us do not. If you want to be truly passionate about something, one should stand up for what you believe in, not just be another person in the crowd.

This book would be great to use for a project, not only because you could use lots of quotes and facts from it, but because it has a great bibliography in the back. I love using books with these because it is an easy way to find more informative sources.