Ruby Bridges

Ruby Bridges

On September 8, 1954, a child was born. Ruby Bridges. She was born in Tylertown, Mississippi. Both sets of grandparents were sharecroppers. Both wanted a better life for Ruby.

When she was only six, she was one of four first grade girls who went to segregated schools. Sadly, Ruby was on her own- the three other girls were going together but Ruby was alone. She was going to William Frantz.

Some people shouted "2, 4, 6, 8; WE DON'T WANT TO INTEGRATE!" One woman threatened to poison Ruby. Later, Ruby taught "2, 4, 6, 8, we don't want to integrate" to her friend. She didn't know what it meant. They used it as a jump rope rhyme. On the way home from school, some people were holding a black doll in a small coffin. That scared Ruby most of all.

Ruby wouldn't eat her lunches. One day in front of all the crowd, Ruby turned around and talked to the crowd. Well, actually she wasn't talking..she was praying. Praying that the people in the crowd would realize they weren't being kind and would become nicer. But until that happened, she wanted the Lord to forgive them. Later, when her parents found out that a woman had threatened to poison Ruby, or even kill Ruby, they didn't know if they should keep going to a white school. But Ruby still went.

Ruby was an important kid. At the age of six, she changed America. That's a pretty big accomplishment, don't you think? But remember: I KNOW you can change America as well.