This story is about a woman named Claudette Colvin, who at 15 (now 69) was arrested in Montgomery, Alabama for refusing to move to the back of the bus 9 months before Rosa Parks. Though many activists in Alabama supported Claudette, including Martin Luther King Jr. who argued on her behalf in court. Many civil rights organizations took interest like the Women's Political Council. However, they worried Claudette's age and personal life would not make her a suitable face for the movement. I thought this story was interesting not only because of the historical value but because it is particularly pertinent to this class. A young girl's courageous and brave actions were quickly forgotten and with the passing of time unknown because of marketing concerns. At the beginning of the semester we talked about news as a story. Various civil rights organizations decided this was not the right person for the story and so 9 months later it is retold by Rosa Parks, who they considered to be more appropriate. In situations as desperate as trying to attain the rights one's already has it seems any story that would garner attention is a positive thing. However, it is interesting to think the Rosa Parks story is simply a "re-do", a "better version" of something that had already happened.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/187325
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I knew that there were at least a few others who did not give up their seat on the bus when told to do so, but i never knew there was someone as young as 15 who did the same thing. Its interesting how that story is the same but thought of as "not good enough" simply because she didn't fit into the model of what the media wanted. This clearly shows that all media and news is, is entertainment. They want the right actors for the right roles because they think it will sell. It is kind of disheartening to know that even something as serious as civil rights in America is turned into a story that is trying to make money, and get good reviews.
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