children's/teen/adult graphic nonfiction (adapted from Noire by Tania de Montaigne and originally published in French), 15 y.o. Black student Claudette Colvin is beaten and arrested for not giving up her seat on the bus in 1955 Montgomery, Alabama.

Told in straightforward illustrations and short text sparing the violence but not the seriousness of the topic in a way that younger readers can understand, though there is some language--bitch, whore, etc., plenty of racist insults, and teenage Claudette's getting pregnant by a married man (prompting the civil rights leaders to shift attention away from Claudette and towards the elderly Rosa Parks in a future boycott). It is occasionally tricky to identify which person is being referred to (I think this man behind the desk is one of the lawyers?--the backmatter helps a lot) but the story moves along quickly.
Backmatter includes more information on Jim Crow, NAACP, WCC (White Citizens' Council), WPC (Women's Political Council), Jo Ann Gibson Robinson, Fred Gray, Rosa Parks, E.D. Nixon, William A. Gayle, MLK, Mary Louise Smith, and Jeanetta Reese. ( )

Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. ( )

Received via NetGalley for review.

A good introduction to the sadly forgotten Claudette Colvin, the first woman to protest segregation in Montgomery. Based on a book (which probably goes more in-depth), this simple graphic novel is a good way to introduce the issues of civil rights and feminism to younger readers. The simple art style and color palette means it will probably be dismissed as "too easy" for older readers, though. ( )

There are great points made in this story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott about how history gets simplified and less desirable people are erased from the accepted narrative of events and how women's contributions to history can be overshadowed by men hogging the spotlight, but the execution is muted, dull and vague. It really hurts that the illustrations are exclusively long shots, with pages being nearly static as little figures swarm like ants around prominent fixtures like buses, jail cells, or street fronts. With no close-ups it is occasionally hard to identify characters and very hard to identify with them, as they are literally kept at a distance.

I'm grateful to be introduced to this under-recognized person from history but am left wishing I got to know her. ( )

This book was an eye opener for me. I knew of Rosa Parks of course but I had not heard of Claudette Colvin before reading this.

In 1955, she was arrested after she refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. This was a few months before Rosa Parks’ arrest.

Colvin pleaded not guilty and sued the state.

She later was one of the plaintiffs who testified in the federal court case to challenge bus segregation. But Colvin was a teenager and was perceived as unrespectable because she was pregnant. And so her part in the civil rights movement was kept quiet for a long time. Her family is still fighting for her recognition today.

I’m glad that this comic has highlighted her role in the civil rights movement and hopefully more people will recognize her bravery. ( )