On November 14, 1960, at the age of six, Ruby Bridges changed history and became the first African American child to integrate an all-white elementary school in the South.

 

Ruby Nell Bridges was born in Tylertown, Mississippi, on September 8, 1954, the daughter of sharecroppers. Seeking a better life in a big city, her parents moved the family to New Orleans when Ruby was four years old.

 

In 1954, in a landmark case, Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that racial segregation of children in public schools was unconstitutional. The fact that Ruby was born the same year of the decision to desegregate schools is notable in her journey as a civil rights activist.

 

When Ruby was in kindergarten, her parents allowed her to test to see if she qualified to integrate New Orleans public schools, even though her father was hesitant. Ruby was one of six Black children to pass the test. Two of the six students decided to remain in their current school. Three of them transferred to McDonogh No. 19 Elementary. And Ruby was sent to William Frantz Elementary School.

 

On the first day in her new school, Ruby and her mother arrived with four U.S. marshals for protection. Ruby saw a massive crowd of people shouting, throwing things, and carrying signs as she approached the school. Ruby thought it was Mardi Gras. 

 

As soon as Ruby entered William Frantz Elementary, White families took their children out of the school. On the second day, a White girl broke the boycott and entered the school. After a few days, other White parents began bringing their children back to school, and the protests subsided. However, only one teacher, Barbara Henry, was willing to teach Ruby. For the remainder of the school year, Ruby was in a classroom by herself with Mrs. Henry. Ruby was tormented routinely on her way to school. One woman threatened to poison her, and another showed up with a Black doll in a wooden coffin. The federal marshals had to escort her to the restroom to keep her safe. One of the marshals assigned to Ruby, Charles Burks, proudly said later that she showed a lot of courage. "She never cried or whimpered," Burks said, "She just marched along like a little soldier."

 

The effects of Ruby's bravery took a toll on the Bridges family. Her father lost his job at the gas station, the grocery store where they shopped banned them from returning, and the farm owners sent Ruby's grandparents from the farm they had sharecropped for over 25 years.

 

In 1963, Norman Rockwell depicted Ruby's courageous first day of school  in a painting called "The Problem We All Live With." It shows a Black girl walking to school escorted by four White men. The image graced the cover of the January 14, 1964 Look magazine.

 

Ruby still lives in New Orleans. In 1999, she started the Ruby Bridges Foundation to promote the "values of tolerance, respect, and appreciation of all differences." The foundation seeks to end racism through education and inspiration. As Ruby said, "Racism is a grown-up disease, and we must stop using our children to spread it."

 

To learn more about Ruby Bridges, read the book, Through My Eyes, by Ruby Bridges.