At six years old, she went to an all-white elementary school. At six years old, she stood in front of a crowd and prayed for them. At six years old, she made history. This girl that I am talking about is Ruby Bridges.
When I first heard about Bridges, I was in middle school. Whether it was during religion or history class, her name was always brought up and her story was one I always enjoyed hearing. Especially knowing what she did at such an early age is what made it even more impactful.
In case you have never heard of her, let me tell you her story.
Ruby Bridges was born on September 8th,1954. Out of the five children her parents had, she was the oldest child. Around the year she was born, the US Supreme Court had the ruling over the case of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka Kansas which ended racial segregation in public schools. At two years old, Ruby and her family moved to New Orleans to attend a segregated public school. She was in kindergarten then.
You see, although she was young, Bridges was highly intelligent. When a year passed and that school gave entrance exams to African American students, she was one out of the six students who passed the exam. Once she reached the age of six, this is where she would change the course of her life forever.
When her parents thought about sending her to William Frantz Elementary School, which was an all-white institution, they were conflicted. Her father, fearing for the safety of her daughter, thought it would be best to send her elsewhere, but her mother wanted Bridges to have the educational opportunities that they were denied.
When the day came for Bridges’ first day at her new school, she was not met with a warm welcome, but a crowd of White Americans filled with disgust and hostility. That day, Bridges and her mother were escorted by four federal marshals.
Although she felt alone, everyday she would pray for the angry mob that always stood outside of the school to change their views. Then, the one day she forgot to do it, she gained the courage to stand in front of them and say a prayer for them to change their minds. After that, the mobs would disappear, and more students would start to enroll at Willian Frantz Elementary School.
Now, in 2024, Ruby Bridges is 69 years old and is an American Civil Rights activist. I just learned last semester and knowing she is still alive; I am glad that she is continuing to stand up for people of color in the education system. In our world nowadays, it is important to shed light on what needs to change for the better.