Honoring Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day on November 14th
Safe Routes to School would like to honor Ruby Bridge’s act of courage, and elevate the important role she played in the civil rights movement just over 60 years ago.
Please work with your school staff if you'd like to help organize a walk in honor of Ruby Bridges for your school community.
Incentives can be ordered here
Order by November 7th to receive your items before November 14th!
About Ruby
In 1945 the US Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Brown v. the Board of Education ended racial segregation in public schools. However, southern states continued to resist. Ruby spent kindergarten in a segregated classroom. In 1960 a federal court ordered Louisiana schools to desegregate. The school district created an entrance exam to see if African American students could handle being in an all-white school. Ruby and five other students passed the exam. The six students were to be sent to two different all-white schools. The school district delayed their start and Ruby’s first day of school was November 14, 1960. A few days before the start of school, the two African American students who were going to attend with Ruby, decided to stay in their home school. Ruby braved Frantz Elementary School on her own.
How Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day Began
In 2018, after learning about her story, a group of 5th graders in San Mateo County wanted to recognize Ruby Bridges' courage in showing up to school every day despite the terrible circumstances. San Mateo County put together a website full of resources including lesson plans, social media templates, and more. Here are a few suggested ones to start with:
- San Mateo County's resources website to share with your students
- Listen to Ruby talk about her courageous journey and events leading up to it on this podcast: Through My Eyes: Ruby Bridges on the Struggle for Racial Justice
Share Ruby’s Story
To learn more about the Ruby Bridges Foundation, go to www.rubybridges.com, and follow Ruby on Instagram at @RubyBridgesOfficial.
If you’d like to share Ruby’s story with your students, you can order her 1999 memoir, Through My Eyes, here. Click here to access The Power of Story, a catalog of diverse books for readers of all ages.
The Creative Company has given permission for SRTS practitioners to share their book Ruby Head High: Ruby Bridges’ First Day of School at no cost. You can print these pages for a storyboard walking activity, to share with students and schools, and more! The Creative Company does ask that you please tag them in any photos related to their use:
Facebook: @thecreativecompanypublishing
Instagram: @the_creative_company_books
Learn more about Portland's Story
This is also an opportunity to learn and share about Portland's history of desegregation with your students and children. We encourage you to research about Portland's history with segregated neighborhoods, desegregation with school districts, and busing. Here are some recommended resources:
- Our Story; Portland Through an African American Lens (7-minute video on Desegregation in Portland)
- Racing to Change: Oregon’s Civil Rights Years (Virtual Exhibit Presented by Oregon Black Pioneers)
- Timeline of Oregon and U.S. Racial, Immigration and Education History (year 1900 starts on page 10)
- The Desegregation of Portland Public Schools (lesson plan for 8th-10th grade students)