Ruby Bridges "Two, four, six, eight, we don't want to
Ruby Bridges "Two, four, six, eight, we don't want to integrate," were the shouting words coming from a mob of racist protesters on Nov. 14, 1960 in New Orleans-the day public schools were integrated. These were just some of the words that 6 year old Ruby Bridges heard as she made her way into her new school, surrounded by US Marshals. At first, she didn't realize that the harsh words were directed towards her, she thought it was Mardi gras. She could not yet conceive how important her bravery was.
Ruby was born in Tylertown, Mississippi in 1954. In 1957, economic conditions forced her family to move to New Orleans where her father worked as a custodian and her mother cleaned floors at a bank. The entire family was actively involved in the church and their neighborhood community. When integration was ordered, the NAACP backed Ruby's assignment to a first grade class at the all white William Frantz Elementary School. Her intelligence and scores on the school board exam granted her the ability to attend the school.
Ruby's mother Lucille was extremely proud of Ruby for doing so well, and for being chosen to help begin the process of integration in the area. Lucille supported allowing Ruby to attend William Frantz Elementary, to better Ruby's future, along with the future of all black children. Ruby's father Abon, on the other hand, felt that she should stay at her school because she was doing just fine where she was. After some thought, the couple decided that the right decision would be to be strong and have Ruby attend William Frantz.
On her first day of school, guards were stationed at the end of the street that the Bridges family lived on. Deputy US Marshal, Al Butler along with several other US Marshals picked up Ruby and her mother at their home and escorted them to the school. The angry mob was already there, waiting to yell and spit at Ruby, who didn't understand their hatred. She was simply going to school to learn.
Mothers of the children who
Ruby was born in Tylertown, Mississippi in 1954. In 1957, economic conditions forced her family to move to New Orleans where her father worked as a custodian and her mother cleaned floors at a bank. The entire family was actively involved in the church and their neighborhood community. When integration was ordered, the NAACP backed Ruby's assignment to a first grade class at the all white William Frantz Elementary School. Her intelligence and scores on the school board exam granted her the ability to attend the school.
Ruby's mother Lucille was extremely proud of Ruby for doing so well, and for being chosen to help begin the process of integration in the area. Lucille supported allowing Ruby to attend William Frantz Elementary, to better Ruby's future, along with the future of all black children. Ruby's father Abon, on the other hand, felt that she should stay at her school because she was doing just fine where she was. After some thought, the couple decided that the right decision would be to be strong and have Ruby attend William Frantz.
On her first day of school, guards were stationed at the end of the street that the Bridges family lived on. Deputy US Marshal, Al Butler along with several other US Marshals picked up Ruby and her mother at their home and escorted them to the school. The angry mob was already there, waiting to yell and spit at Ruby, who didn't understand their hatred. She was simply going to school to learn.
Mothers of the children who