Transcript Ruby Bridges One Little Girl’s Brave Act Compiled by Marka Carson

Ruby Bridges
One Little Girl’s
Brave Act
Compiled by Marka Carson
Would you like to have a classroom all to
yourself, with the teacher just for you?
Ruby Bridges did, when she was in First
Grade.
She was in New Orleans.
The year was 1960.
Where Ruby lived, black and white children went to separate
schools.
This was called segregation.
Many people, including Ruby’s parents, did not believe
in segregation.
They took their case to court where a judge ruled that
Ruby would attend William Frantz Public School,
a school of white students.
Some people were angry about the
Judge’s decision.
They wouldn’t send their children to
Ruby’s school.
Some of them yelled and waved signs at
Ruby when she went to school.
“The Problem We All Live With”
Painting by Norman Rockwell, 1964, Look Magazine
“Our Ruby taught us all a lot. She
became someone who helped change our
country. She was part of history, just like
generals and presidents are part of history.
They’re leaders, and so was Ruby. She led
us away from hate, and she led us nearer to
knowing each other, the white folks and the
black folks.”
-Ruby’s Mother
Discussion Questions
How do you think Ruby felt going to that school?
Why?
How do you think she felt in her classroom?
Why?
Would you have done the same thing that Ruby
did? Why or why not?
Why did some people yell at Ruby outside the
school? What else could they have done?
Resources
Through My Eyes Ruby Bridges, Scholastic
Press, New York 1999
The Story of Ruby Bridges Robert Coles,
Illustrated by George Ford, Scholastic, Inc.
1995
www.nrm.org/eyeopener/eye_problem.html