If you could ask the author/illustrator of this book one question, what would it be, and why?
I would ask Phillip Hoose, author of Claudette Colvin: Twice Towards Justice if he would do the same thing Claudette did if he was black and was the same age as Claudette. On March 2nd, 1955 Claudette Colvin refused to give up her seat to a white woman, the law at that time, which led to her being dragged out of the bus by police and arrested. Claudette was taken to court where she was found guilty on all of her three charges. After an appeal, the judge dropped two of three charges but kept the charge of Claudette physically assaulting a police officer, something that she denied. Nine months later, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus which sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott. After many weeks of boycotting buses, Claudette and four other plaintiffs testified that the system of busing was unconstitutional in the case Browder vs. Gayle. I wonder if Phillip Hoose, in Claudette's identity and time period, would refuse to give up his seat to a white woman. It is interesting to hear people's perspectives if they were put in other people's shoes. I enjoyed reading this book and hope that our society can continue to fight for racial justice.
-James
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