Montgomery residents reflect on Fred Gray, Claudette Colvin making history

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - On Oct. 26, history was written once again in Montgomery.

With one pull of the string, civil rights attorney Fred Gray unveiled the street marker of the street named in his honor, formerly known as West Jeff Davis Street.

Valiant Cross student Latavis Thomas shared what this moment meant to him.

“It had a big impact on me it makes me want to do right and do things better,” Thomas said.

But the pen didn’t stop writing, Fred Gray’s first client Claudette Colvin who refused to give up her seat to a white passenger took the necessary steps in order to expunge her record.

After she was accused of assaulting a police officer while fighting to keep her seat over 60 years ago.

“It’s a feeling that hard to explain but one thing it should have done for all of us is inspire us to do something more,” founder of Women of W.I.L.L Sheyann Christburg said.

Though this chapter is written, Gray and Colvin say the struggle for equal justice continues.

They’re tasking young people to continue to carry the torch they started.

“It going to make and motivate them, to become the change agents of Fred D. Gray and Claudette Colvin,” Christburg said.

“There’s google there are all these types of things that can bring information to the table for people to know these things not people may not watch the news or go and research these things on their own,” Thomas said.

Both said they’re going to take these experience and share it with the ones that weren’t there and also share them with future generations.

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