Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice is an illuminating piece of nonfiction. Phillip Hoose tells the story without condescending, but he also doesn't assume the reader knows anything about his story. As an adult reader, I appreciated the deep background provided in sidebars.

From the first pages, which are largely pictures illuminating life in the South in the era of Jim Crow laws, I was wowed. The book reads almost like a documentary; Hoose uses photos, text boxes, background, newspaper text and interviews to paint a vivid picture not only of Colvin's life, but these years in Montgomery, Alabama.

Who is Claudette Colvin? She was a high school girl who refused to give up her seat for a white passenger. She did it nine months before Rosa show more Parks, and she was arrested. Part of what I love about this book is the honesty, which is at times brutal. Rosa Parks is an American hero, and so many of us growing up being wowed by her bravery. This book takes us back to the way it really happened, which isn't as simple. It's not a nice little story, but it's real. As a librarian firmly in the "teach the truth" camp, I loved this book. Some teachers and parents may react adversely to it. She cooperated with Phillip Hoose, who interviewed her numerous times for this book.

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice is an important book. It's a book I found illuminating as an adult reader. It won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature. show less

Although less than 150 pages, “Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice” is easily one of the best books I have every read about the modern Civil Rights movement. Winner of the 2009 National Book Award Winner for Young People's Literature, author Phillip Hoose does a masterful job explaining how Claudette was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama city bus to a white person nine months before Rosa Parks. But for several reasons, Claudette did not receive the support of her classmates or friends in the black community, and did not become the face of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. And her name has largely been lost to history – until now.

Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux Books for Young Readers, a show more division of MacMillan, the book is recommended for grades 5 through 12. I could see this book as an outstanding addition to any school social studies library, or the subject of a teacher's social studies unit on the modern civil rights movement. Hoose does his readers so many favors, providing numerous historic photos and other primary sources, as well as first rate definitions and explanation of terms and historic events (including the clearest definition of "Jim Crow" I have ever read).

Hoose convinced Claudette Colvin to let him tell her story for the first time, and tell it he does – giving us both the back story of what happened and why, and letting Claudette fill in the blanks, remembering her own thoughts and feelings at the time in her own words.

Most importantly, this book reminds us once again that the Civil Rights Movement of the 50s and early 60s was in large part about young people, fought out in schools and the courts and the streets – from the Topeka 8 to Emmitt Till to Claudette Colvin to Ruby Bridges to the four little girls (Addie Mae Collins, Carole Robertson, Cynthia Wesley and Denise McNair) killed by a bomb in a Birmingham church in 1963. And as such, it is critical that the school children of today learn what role the school children of that era played for the freedom of all of us. show less

This is truly an amazing addition to history. Claudette Colvin's story, together with Philip Hoose's historical portrayal, brings new life to the history of African American struggle against racial segregation. We are accustomed to hear the names of Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. whenever the Montgomery Bus Boycott comes up in discussions. This book makes us question why we have never heard of Claudette Colvin. I, for one, had never heard of her story before reading this book. As the story gradually unravels, we come to discover that it was her example, almost a year earlier than Rosa Parks' demonstration, that sparked the desire for the Boycott. We also learn that she was shunned publicly by the black leaders in the civil rights show more movement for being too young and for having a light-skinned baby.

As the book presents various facets of the situation in Montgomery of which few today are aware, this book is excellent for young adult readers interested in the civil rights movement. Colvin is presented as an initiator of the spirit of revolt on the buses, while Hoose places her in a long line-up of African American bus rabble-rousers. When history books usually speak of Montgomery, there is usually no mention that there was constant unrest on the buses, or that the bus drivers were given police authority. As the story unfolds, Hoose shows how it was the court decision in Browder v. Gale that eventually ended the year long boycott, and how Colvin's testimony was perhaps the nail-clincher in the case. The case is also admired for its timing: at the moment that the leaders of boycott were arraigned in court to be sentenced for illegal carpooling, the ruling came from the Supreme Court in favor of the four women plaintiffs in the Browder case. Colvin and her attorney Fred Gray were the saving grace of the movement, which would have been a much wearier struggle without their involvement.

Among the many virtues of this book, is having Colvin tell her story in her own words. Each chapter is an interweaving of her story alongside Hoose's historical account. The story highlights the insane violence against the leaders of the civil rights movement, both black and white. At the end of the books we also get Hoose's notes on how he first came across Colvin's story and his mission to bring it to a wider audience of readers. There is also an afterword where Hoose gives Colvin a short interview where he gets her answers to the most common questions she is usually asked by curious readers. This book makes us want to learn more about the Civil Rights movement, as it offers us a more intimate look at what is mostly taken for granted (that there were many involved in protesting the buses, not just the leaders of the civil rights movement). show less

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose is an excellent biography about the first African American girl to refuse to give up her seat on a public bus. Claudette Colvin was fifteen years old when she refused to give her seat to a white woman, having no idea that it would spark the Montgomery bus boycott, and actually inspire Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Many people, including myself, did not know her story and Phillip Hoose does an excellent job of telling it through multiple interviews he completed with Colvin and others involved in her life. He also uses many primary sources and excellent photographs throughout the book to reinforce the social injustices that he describes. After completing this book I show more spent about twenty extra minutes looking at all of the pictures and artifacts again. Hoose's bibliography and notes are impeccable, leaving little room for accuracy questioning and his writing style had me on the edge of my seat, wondering how her story played out. He switches from writing in third person, telling her story from the facts he’s gathered, to first person where Colvin is actually speaking in first person. I was left with many questions after reading this book, like why I had never heard of Colvin before. In my opinion, she ranks as one of the greatest civil rights activists and students should know her story. I enjoyed this book very much and would recommend it for any fifth grade through high school civil rights study. I would certainly consider finding her story written on a elementary level to share with primary grade students as well. show less

Reading Phillip Hoose's, Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice had a redemptive quality to it, and the thing being redeemed wasn't Claudette herself or even the rights of African Americans (though to be sure this was an important thread in the narrative). The thing being redeemed was Claudette's story itself, her well-deserved place in the Civil Rights movement. Hoose went to great lengths to embed Claudette's actions in in history such a way that their import was obvious to readers. Every line seems penned with the intent to rightly situate a young Claudette within the milieu of her times, to show how she was both a product of and a changer of those times, to right what I think Hoose and Claudette view as an epic oversight of her show more bravery (twice).

Even the title, Twice Toward Justice, seems linked to Hoose's cause. I can't help but wonder if Hoose's choice is a bit double entendric. With boldness and clarity of purpose, Claudette Colvin twice fought back against the regime that threatened her very existence; yet twice her bravery was seemingly overlooked. Hoose wanted to remind us all of Claudette's unflinching stands, and in doing so, he brought justice to Claudette. Hence the redemption.
How did Hoose accomplish his mission? How did he frame Claudette's story so that it had the gravitas, that resounding "thud" that would make reader's stop and say, "This woman made history! Why haven't I ever heard of her before?" Beyond a very apt title, he did this by simply telling her story, many times in her own words.
Claudette's story is told in a way that I term "documentary" style. I can easily picture viewing this book as a film, the camera zooming back and forth between the big, "This is life according to Jim Crow" and Claudette's, "Here's how it was for me" moments. A narrator (who would be the perfect cast for this? Morgan Freeman?) could take on the third person portions of the book, and Claudette herself could speak the first person parts, sometimes with pictures from the text scrolling across the screen, sometimes with the lens capturing Claudette's steady gaze. I would watch this film in a heartbeat. But, since that film doesn't exist except for in my brain, I think that Hoose gave us the next best thing: He used third person to contextualize Claudette's actions and first person to bring those reflections into sharp focus. (I guess I can content myself with inserting Morgan Freeman's voice and saying "roll tape" in my head).
Every chapter included this toggling back and forth between perspectives, and the reader is clued into a "scene change" by textual markers. Bolded typeface, ellipses and all caps let us know when we are hearing the narrator and when we are encountering Claudette in her own words.

I love Hoose's approach. If the whole narrative had been in either first or third person, I think it's possible that Claudette's words would have become watered down. As it stands, the organization caused me to sit up and take notice whenever Claudette herself was clearly speaking. Passages like this, "Claudette was still furious about Jeremiah Reeve's plight, when, on the first day of her sophomore year, she met someone who gave her the confidence to transform her anger into action" proved a satisfying lead in into their subsequent first person sections like this: "Miss Geraldine Nesbitt dressed sharp – more like a saleslady than a schoolteacher. She was slender and petite..." What an effective use of alternating point of view on Hoose's part. And while all aspects of the book, encylopedic-like entries clarifying what Jim-Crow is, served to anchor this text in the reality, this simple toggling between perspectives (with clear textual delineations between the two) employed in every chapter is, in my view, the most powerful organizational tool that Hoose used to redeem Claudette's lost place in history. The writer in me labels this the "zoom in/zoom out" approach and thinks "Oooh, I wanna try that!" show less

Claudette Colvin is a moving, personal look at the Montgomery bus boycott, and the momentum one young woman gave to the movement. The author understands the importance of letting his source speak for herself. Her reflections illustrate her passion for justice and help us connect with the movement. The photographs and historical context are enriched by our emotional investment in Colvin's experiences and vice versa. With regards to the text's organization, form follows function. It is narrative and, since it is linear, it is also chronological.

I was particularly impressed by how the text doesn't shy away from complexity. I was worried it would shy away from Colvin's pregnancy and how it affected her standing within the movement. The show more text, and Colvin, respects Rosa Parks and her legacy; however, the decision to choose Rosa Parks as the bus boycott's galvanizing figure because of Colvin's "emotional" or "feisty" nature, her dark skin, and working class family shows the classism and colorism Colvin and her family confronted. Hoose does not underestimate his young readers. show less

Intro

Wow! After closing the back cover of this book, I had this incredible, unfamiliar feeling of inspiration mixed with heartbreak. The triumph of African-Americans in Montgomery, Alabama in the 1950s-60s is an example of the power of the human spirit, determination, and - thank God - proof that our Judicial System examines the Constitution objectively. Well...they learned to, at least.

But honestly, I didn't know too much about Claudette Colvin before I delved into this book. Really, what I knew of Colvin was that she was the Beta Max to the Rosa Parks VHS. Honestly, to me, she was just another Civil Rights Activist that I had heard of in passing. I also knew that Rosa Parks actions were calculated. What I didn't know is that it show more started with a teenage girl with a "problem with authority."

I also feel for her now. It must really suck to be a martyr without at least getting the status. But, ya know...it's not like she was a major contributor in fundamentally changing the way one of the most influential countries in the world operates. Colvin is totally not a hero that deserves to be in textbooks. Totally.

The Narrative

The best word that I can use to describe Hoose's narrative style is "a little janky." The story cuts between what one would expect from a historical narrative/biography to a first person account of the situation, told by Claudette Colvin herself. Initially, this pushed me away from the text, as I prefer my histories to be free from objectivity. But that changed after reading a few chapters.

But Colvin's interviews do not serve as a story all their own. If combined, they would make little sense as a text. No, instead her own words serve two different purposes (for me). First, her own personal account bolsters the facts Hoose puts forward. This is great for a nonfiction text, when concerning the text itself. But the words of Colvin, words that came straight from the mouth of the "usurper" allowed for a much deeper emotional connection to the events depicted.

And this is really important to consider. In most circumstances, the reader would connect with Colvin as a victim. I mean who wouldn't? She was segregated, ejected from a public utility for defending her rights, and shunned by the very few people that could protect her. It's a terrible situation that oozes possible sympathy.

But Hoose didn't take that route, entirely. While the story we read was heartbreaking, ending in predictable triumph, Hoose attempts (successfully in my case) for his readers to connect with Claudette Colvin the person, not the character. This thought hearkened me to an old biography of Jackie Robinson that I read in 7th grade. Jackie is a (deserved) folk hero in America. This biography told his story as such. But Hoose does not go that route - entirely, which can be the case with Jackie. He could have easily painted Claudette Colvin as some larger than life figure that deserves our reverence. But he didn't. He told the real story of a teenage girl that had enough.

The Impact

One of my favorite things about history lends itself to some awful feelings. You really can't know everything that happened during a certain time frame. I consider myself decently versed in the American Civil Rights Movement, but I cannot deny that I sometimes endure some gut shots. This was one of those times.

First off, Jeremiah Reeves was a stranger to me. To know the horrors of his case, not to mention the verdict's importance in the bus boycott, both surprised and horrified. This book cuts deep, and on purpose. While the Civil Rights Movement may have happened over 50 years ago, progress still needs to made.

Hoose pulls no punches. I cannot say that his research is 100% on point, as I have not investigated his sources myself, but it certainly seems as though his ducks are in a row and Colvin's interviews tend to bolster many of his ascertains.

In this case, the credibility only made me feel the pain of the characters even more. Mostly in the form of a pregnant Claudette being shunned from the NAACP from not being a presentable face. I definitely understand the move - there was much more on the line than one person's ego - but c'mon! How was a young pregnant girl not the perfect proponent for strife?! I guess that was just the 50s.

Summation

Absolutely a 5/5. This book is a great read, and provides for little known (to me) insights into the Montgomery Civil Rights Movement. It takes a certain sort of author to make a nonfiction book combine both tension and depression into an entertaining narrative. Hoose accomplishes this masterfully. show less