Our History is American History - Ruby Bridges

 

Imagine being six years old and so oblivious to the hate around you that you thought the folks gathered to hurl insults at you was a Madi Gras parade. Or better yet, imagine being the adult standing there threatening a little girl to the point that she needed federal escorts just because her parents wanted her to receive an equal education. I can't imagine that. But I can testify that I've been a little girl who's neighbors wouldn't let their daughter play with her because I was black. Not play with me??? As cute and sweet as I was (I might still be cute and sweet...maybe... who knows 😁) But can you imagine that? I can because it happened. 

Ruby Nell Bridges Hall (1954 - ) is an American activist known for being the first black child to desegregate the all-white William Frantz Elementary School in Louisiana during the New Orleans school desegregation crisis in 1960. Born in Tylertown, MS, to Abon and Lucille Bridges, Ruby was born the same year that the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision desegregated the schools. Ruby and her family relocated to New Orleans, Louisiana when she was 4. When she was 6 years old, her parents responded to a request from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and volunteered her to participate in the integration of the New Orleans school system. 

When Ruby was in kindergarten, she was one of many African-American students in New Orleans who were chosen to take a test determining whether or not she could attend a white school. Allegedly, the test was written to be especially difficult so that students would have a hard time passing. The idea was that if all the African-American children failed the test, New Orleans schools might be able to stay segregated for a while longer. Her father was averse to his daughter taking the test, believing that if she passed and was allowed to go to the white school, there would be trouble. Her mother pressed the issue, believing that Ruby would get a better education at a white school and was eventually able to convince Ruby's father to let her take the test. 

In 1960, Ruby Bridges' parents were informed by officials from the NAACP that she was one of only six African-American students to pass the test. Ruby had to be escorted to class by her mother and U.S. marshals due to violent mobs. When Ruby and the federal marshals arrived at the school, large crowds of people were gathered in front yelling and throwing objects. There were barricades set up, and policemen were everywhere. Ruby, in her innocence, first believed it was like a Mardi Gras celebration. When she entered the school under the protection of the federal marshals, she was immediately escorted to the principal's office and spent the entire day there. 

The chaos outside, and the fact that nearly all the white parents at the school had kept their children home, meant classes weren't going to be held. Only one teacher, Barbara Henry, a new teacher at the school, agreed to teach Ruby. "Mrs. Henry," as Ruby would call her even as an adult, greeted her with open arms. Ruby was the only student in Henry's class, because parents pulled or threatened to pull their children from Ruby's class and send them to other schools. 

By her own recollection many years later, Ruby was not that aware of the extent of the racism that erupted over her attending the school; however, when another child rejected Ruby's friendship because of her race, she began to slowly understand. Bridges' bravery paved the way for continued Civil Rights action and she's shared her story with future generations in educational forums. The image of this small black girl being escorted to school by four large white men inspired Norman Rockwell to create the painting "The Problem We All Must Live With," which graced the cover of Look magazine in 1964.

Ruby Bridges courage cannot be understated. Her impact has far surpassed her first steps into William Frantz Elementary School in November of 1960. She has remained a vocal advocate for anti-racism and encourages kids to make meaningful connections with peers of all races. She has upheld the legacy of her parents, Abon and Lucille Bridges, her first-grade teacher, Barbara Henry, and child psychiatrist, Robert Coles, all of which sought to provide her with a solid foundation to enact change. She continues to pave the way for generations to come through her various advocacy efforts. Bridges’ contributions - both past and present - have been recognized far and wide. She holds various honorary degrees from Connecticut College in 1995 and Tulane University in 2012. In 2000, she was made an honorary Deputy U.S. Marshal. 10 years later, Bridges was honored at the White House. As of 2024, she was also inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame.