Ruby Bridges | Biography, Books, Accomplishments, & Facts

Where did Ruby Bridges grow up?

Ruby Bridges grew up on a small farm in Tylertown, Mississippi. Her parents were sharecroppers. So she was farming the land, but not the owner. When Ruby was four years old, her family moved to New Orleans.

In New Orleans, Ruby lived in a small apartment and shared a bedroom with her sister and two younger brothers. Her father worked at a gas station and her mother worked nights to earn a living. Ruby had fun hanging out with her friends in New Orleans. They played softball, jumped rope, and climbed trees.

Ruby Bridges Overview:

Biography of Ruby Bridges:

Attending School

Ruby attended kindergarten at an all-black school. Schools in New Orleans were separate back then. This meant that black students attended different schools than white students. Ruby’s school was far from her home, but she didn’t mind. She liked her teacher Mrs. King and she enjoyed kindergarten too.

Chosen for Integration

One day Ruby was told to take a test. Unknown to her at the time, the test was designed to determine which black students would be allowed to attend white schools. Ruby is a very bright girl and she passed the exam with flying colors. Her parents were then told that she could attend a local white school and begin integrating black and white students.

Her father initially did not want her to go to a white school. He worried that it would become dangerous. There were a lot of white people who were angry and didn’t want Ruby in school. But her mother thought it was a good opportunity. Ruby will get a better education and pave the way for her future children. Eventually her mother convinced her father.

First Day at a White School

Ruby entered first grade at her alma mater. Still, some tried to stop her from attending an all-white school. But on November 14, 1960, Ruby attended the first day of the immaculate William Franz School near her home. It was just 5 blocks away.

When Ruby arrived at her school, many protested and threatened her and her family. I wasn’t sure what was going on with her Ruby, but I knew her parents were scared. Several white men in suits (Marshals) arrived that morning. They drove Ruby to her school and surrounded her on her way.

Her first day of school was a strange one for Ruby. She was just sitting with her mother in her principal’s office. She watched the parents of white children come in all day. They kicked the children out of school.

The Only Child in Class

Ruby was the only black child to attend the William Franz School. Schools were merged, but classrooms were not. She was alone in the classroom. She had a white teacher named Mrs. Martin. Henry. Ruby and Mrs. Henry were alone for the rest of the year. Ruby liked Mrs. Henry. She was kind and they became good friends.

Were there other students at the school?

The school was mostly empty. Ruby was the only black student, but there were few white students as well. Many white parents pulled their children out of school out of fear of the demonstrators. Those who left their children in school were often attacked or threatened by opponents of integration.

What about the other kids who took the test?

Out of all the kids who took the test, six passed. Two of her children chose not to consolidate, but her three other girls did not. They attended another white school in New Orleans.

Was everyone against her?

The demonstrators were mean and violent, but not all were against consolidation. Many people of all races supported Ruby and her family. They sent her gifts, letters of encouragement, and even money to help her parents with their living expenses. Neighbors helped her with babysitting and even guarded her school car to support her family.

After the First Grade

After freshman year, everything became more normal for Ruby. She attended school without a U.S. Marshal and attended classrooms full of white and black students. She missed Mrs. Henry, but she eventually got used to her new classroom and her teacher. Ruby attended a consistent school throughout her high school years.

Interesting Facts about Ruby Bridges

After high school, Ruby worked as a travel agent for 15 years.

She married Malcolm Hall, with whom she had four sons.

In 2014, a statue of Ruby was unveiled in front of William Franz Her School.

Ruby later becomes an adult and is reunited with her former teacher, Mrs. Henry.

In 2001, she was awarded the Presidential Citizen’s Medal by President Bill Clinton.