This Girl Can! Change the World...and She Did-Ruby Bridges
Jacqui Fishman
“Don’t follow the path. Go where there is no path and begin the trail.
When you start a new trail equipped with courage, strength and conviction,
the only thing that can stop you is you!”
Just imagine being only six years old and having the eyes of the entire world on you as you are simply trying to do what every six year old does each day, go to school. For Ruby Bridges,however, her entryway to the first grade and to school was literally blocked because of the color of her skin. 60 years ago this week Ruby Bridges became the first African American child to attend an all white school, the William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans. As Ruby walked to enter the school, along with her brave Mom Lucille, and escorted by white federal marshals, she was met with angry white crowds shouting racial slurs and throwing things at her. That day was of course captured in Norman Rockwell’s iconic painting “The Problem We All Live With” and Ruby Bridges became the face of school integration.
Ruby and her parents didn’t give up or give in to the hatred they endured despite threats and fear, her father losing his job and shops refusing to serve them. As soon as Ruby entered the school 500 students left and never came back while other children were literally hidden away from her. She would spend the entire school year all alone in a classroom with the only teacher who would teach her, Barbara Henry who came from Boston to work in the school. In a recent interview on NPR Ms. Bridges talked about her amazing teacher "Barbara came from Boston to teach me because teachers actually quit their jobs because they didn't want to teach black kids. I remember the first day meeting her, she looked exactly like the mob outside the classroom. So I really didn't know what to expect from her,…But I remember her graciously saying, you know, come in and take a seat — and there I was sitting in an empty classroom with her for the whole year, you know, she showed me her heart. Very early on, and I realized that she cared about me, she made school fun, and ultimately I felt safe in that classroom." It would be Barbara who finally persuaded the school principal, a member of the opposition, to allow the children to meet Ruby and come together.
Ruby Bridges has spent her life as a Civil Rights icon and activist, going into schools and speaking with kids about her experiences and about racism which she tells them is a “grown up disease”. “None of our babies are born into the world knowing anything about disliking one another, or disliking someone because of the color of their skin.” she says “Babies don't come into the world like that. And so if babies are not born that way, then we as adults are the ones who are passing it on to them, and we have kept racism alive.”
Ms. Bridges has just published her third book “This is Your Time” inspired by recent social justice activism by young people throughout the country and the world. In the book she tells her own story, speaks to her work through her Ruby Bridges Foundation, explores the parallels between the 1960s and this moment while sending out a call to action to this generation to act for change. The book was published on the same day she lost her Mom and in a social media post she paid tribute to her - “Today our country lost a hero. Brave, progressive, a champion for change. She helped alter the course of so many lives by setting me out on my path as a six-year-old little girl. Our nation lost a Mother of the Civil Rights Movement today. And I lost my mom. I love you, and am grateful for you. May you Rest In Peace. Lucille Bridges (August 12th, 1934 - November 10th, 2020),"
The short and iconic walk that Ruby Bridges took over 60 years ago changed so much for so many as schools became integrated. As powerful as those steps were, however, one small girl’s extraordinarily brave act remains a very powerful and necessary inspiration for us all to take steps to keep us all moving forward not backward for social justice and equity for all children.