To understand the living conditions of Claudette Colvin, there is some preface required. First of all, Claudette Colvin lived in King Hill and lived there with her family. This was a small, poor section of African Americans in an area full of white neighborhoods. It was an everyday struggle for everyday routines to some in her area. This area was dangerous and very well known with a reputation of being a drug addict’s haven. Also it is very important to understand the Jim Crow Laws. These laws were in the south to segregate whites and blacks. The name Jim Crow was a derogatory term and started in after the civil war. These laws started off just segregating blacks and white in public transportation such as buses, trains, or streetcars. Then, it spread to every part of life. Blacks and white became segregated in parks, cemeteries, theatres, restaurants, and stores. The Jim Crow Laws even prohibited blacks from trying on clothes, so for shoes they had to bring outlines of their feet on paper bags when shopping for shoes. These laws main purpose was to prevent any contact between blacks and whites. Blacks were not even supposed to touch whites and where supposed to be on their very best behavior around the whites. The idea was for blacks and whites to be “separate but equal.” This was not the case though. The Separate Cars Act was created to force states to have an entirely different car specifically for persons of color. This…show more content… A lot more than most people her age at the time, and a lot more than what teens nowadays face. She faced watching her friend be accused of raping a white female, being arrested for not giving up her seat, being placed in an adult jail, being raped, and not getting the recognition she deserved. I hope to do her story justice for it is very difficult and required her to be very strong. She might have not been the ideal for civil rights activism, but she did participate and
