Name:______Date:______Per:____
Through My Eyes By, Ruby Bridges
Notes
Preface to My Story:
The 1950’s and ‘60’s were important decades for African Americans, or Negroes as they were known as, because they demanded equal treatment as American citizens. In 1960 the Civil Rights movement was pushing for school integration. Despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in 1954 to end “separate but equal” education for African-American children, less than two percent of southern schools integrated. Ruby Bridge’s is sharing her story of how integration looked to her at six years old.
Born in the Deep South:
Ruby was born on September 8, 1954 in Mississippi and was the oldest child. Her family moved to New Orleans but spent every summer on her grandparents farm. Her grandparents were sharecroppers which means they didn’t own the land, rather they paid rent to the landowner and whatever crops they raised was theirs to keep or sell. Ruby loved her summers with her grandparents.
A New Home:
Ruby lived on France Street in New Orleans. All of her neighbors were black too. They lived in the front part of a large house which only had two bedrooms. Eventually, 8 siblings shared one bedroom! Ruby was the oldest and was expected to help her mother watch her brothers and sisters. Her parents worked hard; her dad worked as a service station attendant and her mother took night jobs. Her mother was religious and believed that God protected them. She also was strict and didn’t allow any nonsense from her children.
One Year in An All-Black School:
Ruby started school at the Johnson Lockett Elementary School which was segregated. Her Kindergarten year, a federal court in New Orleans was forcing two white public schools to integrate. They were only to start with the first grade. Ruby was tested to see if she qualified to be sent to the white schools. The test was difficult and was set up so that black students would fail. However, that summer the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) contacted Ruby’s parents because she was one of just a few black children to pass the school board test. Ruby would be attending the William Frantz Public School. Ruby’s parents weren’t sure that she should go to the integrated school. Her father feared angry segregationists but her mother convinced him that this was the best education possible for Ruby and worth the risk.
My Mother Breaks the News:
Ruby didn’t start the William Frantz School in September because the lawmakers in Baton Rouge slowed down integration. The Louisiana governor, Jimmie H. Davis, supported segregationists and threatened to close all the public schools rather than see them integrated. The Federal District Court Judge J. Skelly Wright blocked the segregationists and stayed committed to upholding the law which was to integrate. He set a new deadline for Monday, November 14. Fearing angry crowds, Judge Wright ordered federal marshals to New Orleans to protect the black first graders. Three black girls went to the McDonogh School. Ruby was going to integrate William Frantz Public School by herself. Her mother told her on Sunday, November 13 that she would be starting the new school; Ruby was upset that she wouldn’t be with her friends any more.
November 14, 1960
Four U.S. federal marshals drove Ruby and her mother to the William Frantz Public School which was only five blocks away from her house. The marshals protected ruby from the large crowd of people that had gathered and were shouting and throwing things at her. There were policemen everywhere. Ruby remembers walking into the school but not seeing anyone because she was surrounded by the marshals. Ruby remembers seeing the school and thinking that it must be a college because it looked bigger and nicer than her old school.
The First Day at William Frantz
Ruby and her mother were told to sit in the principal’s office. The marshals sat outside. Many people removed their children from the school. Ruby sat in the office the entire day and went home at 3:00. She expected a hard first day but it turned out to be easy!
Going Home:
More people were at the school in the afternoon; reporters and film cameras were there. The protestors stayed the entire day to make sure white parents would boycott the school and not let their kids attend. Ruby remembers seeing a black doll in a coffin which scared her more than the high school boys chants. The police had set up barricades at each end of her block so only local residents were allowed. Ruby was able to play freely with her friends.
My First White Teacher:
On the second day of school, Ruby met her teacher, Mrs. Barbara Henry. She was young and white. Ruby was her only student. She wasn’t allowed to eat lunch in the cafeteria or go outside for recess. The marshals even had to take Ruby to the bathroom. Her mother stayed in the classroom that day but stopped after that allowing the marshals to take Ruby to and from school instead.
What a Passerby Wrote:
The author John Steinbeck was driving through New Orleans with his dog, Charley. He decided to stop at the William Frantz school to witness the protestors. He wanted to see the group of women known as the Cheerleaders who shouted foul language at Ruby as she entered and left the school. Steinbeck never knew Ruby’s name bought wrote about her experience in his article Travels With Charley.
Some Show Courage:
A few white families continued to send their children to school. Reverend Lloyd Foreman was convinced that integration was morally and spiritually write and kept his daughter in school. The racists were very cruel to them.
Another First Grader:
Another brave family were the Gabrielles. Yolanda Gabrielle was another first grader but Ruby never met her. White children who continued to attend school were kept far away from Ruby. Yolanda went to school for three weeks and during that time her home was attacked. Even though the police tried to protect the Gabrielles they gave up and moved to a northern state.
Three Little Girls at McDonogh
The three girls that integrated McDonogh No. 19 were Leona, Tessie, and Gail.
Riots in New Orleans:
People were protesting across the city. White segregationists who were members of the Ku Klux Klan, would burn crosses as warning in black neighborhoods. This was meant to frighten African Americans. White parents from New Orleans traveled to Baton Rouge to protest school integration; they wanted Judge Kelly Wright removed from office.
A Week of Trouble:
During the first week of school integration there was a lot of rioting throughout New Orleans. Despite extra police, whites assaulted blacks in broad daylight and the blacks fought back. Things quieted down during the Thanksgiving break but resentful parents promised not to give up. Despite appeals the federal court did not stop school integration.
We Are Not Alone:
Local business owners asked Ruby’s family to not shop in their stores because they were part of school integration. Ruby’s dad had been fired because she went to a white school. People around the country who knew what was happening in New Orleans sent Ruby’s family money which helped them a lot. Ruby also received presents which she was forced to share with her siblings. Ruby received a letter of encouragement from Eleanor Roosevelt which was her mother’s favorite. Unfortunately in 1965, a hurricane flooded parts of New Orleans and the letter from Mrs. Roosevelt was lost.
More Support as I Go Back to School:
Ruby’s neighbors were very supportive and helped her family with the integration cause. A neighbor who owned his own housepainting business offered Ruby’s father a job. The crowds in front of the school lessened as the year went on and attendance at William Frantz was increasing – 18 students! Legislators in Baton Rouge were still fighting integration but John F. Kennedy had been elected president and he was a liberal democrat.
Through the Winter With Mrs. Henry:
Ruby and Mrs. Henry worked well together. Mrs. Henry was more than a teacher; she was her best friend. She made school very fun for Ruby especially since she couldn’t play with the other children. Ruby even became to speak like Mrs. Henry who was a northerner from Boston, Massachusetts.
Mrs. Henry was surprised that teachers didn’t mind sitting all day doing nothing that year. She felt her biggest problem was that everything was so secretive both in school and outside. She tried to explain integration to Ruby and to understand that none of it was her fault. Mrs. Henry commented that Ruby never complained. She continues to talk to schools about Ruby’s story because it inspires children.
I Draw Pictures For Dr. Coles:
Dr. Robert Coles, a child psychiatrist, offered his help to the NAACP. He thought it would be better for Ruby if she had someone to speak to. He met with the other three girls too. He would visit Ruby at her home every week. She drew pictures and would discuss how the pictures showed her feelings. Ruby enjoyed her time with Dr. Coles and his wife. When writing about Ruby, Dr. Coles admired her and was curious what kept her going.
I Have Trouble Eating And Sleeping:
Ruby showed some signs of stress. She had nightmares and would not eat during lunchtime. Mrs. Henry took a break during Ruby’s lunch so she had to sit alone with only the marshals outside. She thought if she hid her lunch they might let her go to the cafeteria with the other children. She also had trouble eating at home too. Ruby’s parents spoke to Dr. Cole because Ruby was afraid that the protestors were going to poison her. Ruby’s appetite returned when the year ended. However, there were treats as well that year. Ruby’s pediatrician’s wife, Mrs. Smith, spent time with her and even took her to a zoo. Her visits with the Smith’s showed Ruby a better side of life and reinforced that she had to do better for herself.
The End Of First Grade:
At the end of the year, Ruby was allowed to spend time with some of the white students who had returned to school. Ruby still truly did not understand racism and integration. It was only when a little white boy refused to play with her. She then realized it was because she was black. Ruby was sad to say goodbye to Mrs. Henry in June. She got excellent grades but the principal didn’t feel that they were accurate due to the individual attention she had received all year.
Mrs. Henry is Gone:
When Ruby began the second grade she was no longer escorted by the marshals. There were no more protestors. She was surprised to report to a new classroom. Mrs. Henry was no longer her teacher and there were at least twenty other kids in her class. Ruby was very sad and lonely without Mrs. Henry. Mrs. Henry moved back to Boston to raise her new family. Ruby commented that it was like the previous year had never happened. Her second grade teacher made fun of her Boston accent and tried to correct her speech. William Frantz School was integrated but Ruby always felt different from the other kids.