Ruby Bridges was the first black child to go to an all-white elementary school in the south. She went to school in New Orleans, Louisiana and was chosen to take a test in order to attend the white school. The test was created to be hard for test takers, so blacks wouldn’t get into the school. WELP, that didn’t work because Ruby passed the test and was able to go to the all white elementary school.
In September of 1960 Ruby was still at her old school the state of Louisiana tried to slow down the integration process. On November 14, 1960; Ruby attended her first day at William Frantz Elementary school. She was escorted by the four U.S Marshals and had to go directly to the principal’s office and she sat there all day. The net day was the same, until a teacher by the name Mrs.Henry agreed to teach her. Ruby was the only one in her class because parents pulled their children out of the class. She stayed in the classroom all day, everyday, not even able to go to recess or the cafeteria because someone threatened to poison her. When she had to go to the restroom, she had to be escorted by the Marshals.
As time went on, her teacher had left, so she had to be in a classroom with the other students. Eventually everything had worked out. She went on to high school and graduated. She went to college in Kansas and went on to become a travel agent.
Without her mother encouraging her to take the test to get placement into the school, it would’ve been later on in the decades that someone would be brave enough to brake those barriers.
Featured image photo credit: pbs.com
Sources: biography.com
Danii Gold 