Salamander
JF-Expert Member
- Dec 7, 2012
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Ruby Bridges! As a six-year-old, Ruby Bridges famously became the first African American child to desegregate an all-white elementary school in the South. When the 1st grader walked to William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans on November 14, 1960 surrounded by a team of U.S. Marshals, she was met by a vicious mob shouting and throwing objects at her.
One of the federal marshals, Charles Burks, who served on her escort team, recalls Bridges' courage in the face of such hatred: "For a little girl six years old going into a strange school with four strange deputy marshals, a place she had never been before, she showed a lot of courage. She never cried. She didn't whimper. She just marched along like a little soldier. We were all very proud of her."
Once Ruby entered the school, she discovered that it was devoid of children because they had all been removed by their parents due to her presence. The only teacher willing to have Ruby as a student was Barbara Henry, who had recently moved from Boston. Ruby was taught by herself for her first year at the school due to the white parents' refusal to have their children share a classroom with a black child.
Despite daily harassment, which required the federal marshals to continue escorting her to school for months; threats towards her family; and her father's job loss due to his family's role in school integration, Ruby persisted in attending school. The following year, when she returned for second grade, the mobs were gone and more African American students joined her at the school. The pioneering school integration effort was a success due to Ruby Bridges' inspiring courage, perseverance, and resilience.
If you'd like to share Ruby Bridges inspiring story with the children in your life, there are several excellent books about her story including the wonderful picture book "The Story Of Ruby Bridges" for ages 4 to 8 (The Story Of Ruby Bridges | A Mighty Girl), the early chapter book "Ruby Bridges Goes to Story" for ages 5 to 8 (Ruby Bridges Goes To School | A Mighty Girl), and the highly recommended memoir that Ruby Bridges wrote for young readers 6 to 12 entitled "Through My Eyes" (Through My Eyes: Ruby Bridges | A Mighty Girl).
There is also an inspiring film about her story called "Ruby Bridges" for viewers 7 and up (Ruby Bridges | A Mighty Girl) -- you can also watch it instantly on Amazon athttp://amzn.to/WOOvgY
To give young readers more insight into the school integration struggle, Nobel Prize-winning author, Toni Morrison, has written an outstanding book, that's filled with photos capturing the major desegregation events of the period, entitled "Remember: The Journey to School Integration" -- for ages 9 and up -- at Remember: The Journey to School Integration | A Mighty Girl
To introduce young people to the Civil Rights Movement and its courageous activists, we've compiled over 30 books for children and teens in our special feature on the "Top Mighty Girl Books on Civil Rights History" atTop Mighty Girl Books on Civil Rights History - Best Of | A Mighty Girl
For Civil Rights Movement-themed books for readers 4 to 8, we recommend "I Am Rosa Parks" (I am Rosa Parks | A Mighty Girl), "Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-Ins" (Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-Ins | A Mighty Girl), "White Socks Only" (White Socks Only | A Mighty Girl), and "Child of the Civil Rights Movement" (Child of the Civil Rights Movement | A Mighty Girl).
For older readers, we recommend "Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High" for 12 and up (Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High | A Mighty Girl), "Rosa Parks: My Story" for ages 9 to 13 (Rosa Parks: My Story | A Mighty Girl), "The Lions of Little Rock" for ages 9 to 13 (The Lions of Little Rock | A Mighty Girl), and "Fire From The Rock" for 12 and up (Fire From The Rock | A Mighty Girl).
For Mighty Girl stories for children and teens that explore racial discrimination and prejudice, visit Prejudice / Discrimination - Social Issues - Books | A Mighty Girl