Ruby Bridges

Ruby Bridges

Who Was Ruby Bridges? Ruby Bridges was a little girl who made a big difference. Ruby was born in 1954. She and her family lived in the South.

What Was the South Like? When Ruby was young, some laws in the South were not fair to black people. These laws kept black people and white people separate.

A United States law said that all children had to go to the same schools. State laws in the South still kept black and white children separate. Black children and white children had to go to different schools. Many people worked to make Southern schools follow the United States law.

How Was Ruby Brave? Ruby was chosen to go to a white school for first grade in 1960. She was the only black student in that school.

Many white parents did not want their children to go to school with a black child. They kept their children at home.