Biography for Kids: Ruby Bridges (2024)

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History >> Biography >> Civil Rights for Kids

Ruby Bridges

  • Occupation: Civil Rights Activist
  • Born: September 8, 1954 in Tylertown, Mississippi
  • Best known for: First African-American student to attend an all-white elementary school in the South

Biography:

Where did Ruby Bridges grow up?

Ruby Bridges grew up on a small farm in Tylertown, Mississippi. Her parents were sharecroppers, meaning they farmed the land, but didn't own it. When Ruby was four years old, her family moved to New Orleans. In New Orleans, Ruby lived in a small apartment where she shared a bedroom with her sister and two younger brothers. Her father worked at a gas station and her mother worked night jobs to help make ends meet. Ruby had fun playing with her friends in New Orleans. They played softball, jumped rope, and climbed trees.

Attending School

Ruby went to kindergarten at an all black school. The schools in New Orleans at that time were segregated. This meant that black students went to different schools than white students. Ruby's school was a long walk from her home, but she didn't mind. She liked her teacher Mrs. King and enjoyed kindergarten.

Chosen for Integration

One day, Ruby was asked to take a test. She didn't know this at the time, but the test was supposed to determine which black students would be allowed to attend a white school. Ruby was a very bright girl and aced the test. After that, her parents were told that she could attend the local white school and begin the integration of black students with white students.

At first her father didn't want her to go to the white school. He was afraid that it would be dangerous. There were a lot of white people who were angry and didn't want Ruby at their school. Her mother, however, thought it would be good opportunity. Ruby would get a better education and would help pave the way for future children. Eventually, her mother convinced her father.

First Day at a White School

Ruby began the first grade at her old school. Some people were still trying to stop her from going to the all-white school. However, on November 14, 1960, Ruby attended her first day at the all-white William Frantz School near her home. It was only five blocks away.

When Ruby arrived at the school there were lots of people protesting and threatening Ruby and her family. Ruby didn't fully understand what was going on, but she knew her parents were scared. Some white men in suits arrived (Federal Marshals) that morning. They drove Ruby to school and surrounded her on the way in.

The first day of school was strange for Ruby. All she did was sit in the principal's office with her mom. She saw the parents of white kids come in throughout the day. They were taking their kids out of the school.

The Only Child in Class

Ruby was the only black child to attend William Frantz School. Even though the school was integrated, the classrooms were not. She was in a classroom all by herself. She had a white teacher named Mrs. Henry. The rest of the year it was just Ruby and Mrs. Henry. Ruby liked Mrs. Henry. She was nice 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 only a few white students as well. Many white parents took their kids out of the school because they were scared of the protesters. The ones who left their kids at school were often attacked and threatened by people who were against integration.

What about the other kids who took the test?

Out of all the kids who took the test, six passed. Two of the kids decided not to integrate, but three other young girls did. They attended a different white school in New Orleans.

Was everyone against her?

Although the protesters were mean and violent, not everyone was against integration. Many people of all races supported Ruby and her family. They sent her gifts, notes of encouragement, and even money to help her parents pay the bills. People in her neighborhood supported the family by helping to babysit and even guarding the car as it drove to school.

After the First Grade

After the first grade, things became more normal for Ruby. She walked to school without the Federal Marshals and attended a full classroom that had both white and black students. She missed Mrs. Henry, but eventually got used to her new classroom and teacher. Ruby attended integrated schools all the way through high school.

Interesting Facts about Ruby Bridges

  • After graduating from high school, Ruby worked as a travel agent for fifteen years.
  • She married Malcolm Hall and had four sons.
  • In 2014, a statue of Ruby was unveiled outside the William Frantz School.
  • Ruby was later reunited as an adult with her former teacher Mrs. Henry.
  • She was awarded the Presidential Citizen's Medal in 2001 by President Bill Clinton.

Activities

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  • To learn more about Civil Rights:

    Movements
    • African-American Civil Rights Movement
    • Apartheid
    • Disability Rights
    • Native American Rights
    • Slavery and Abolitionism
    • Women's Suffrage
    Major Events
    • Jim Crow Laws
    • Montgomery Bus Boycott
    • Little Rock Nine
    • Birmingham Campaign
    • March on Washington
    • Civil Rights Act of 1964

    Civil Rights Leaders

    • Susan B. Anthony
    • Ruby Bridges
    • Cesar Chavez
    • Frederick Douglass
    • Mohandas Gandhi
    • Helen Keller
    • Martin Luther King, Jr.
    • Nelson Mandela
    • Thurgood Marshall
    • Rosa Parks
    • Jackie Robinson
    • Elizabeth Cady Stanton
    • Mother Teresa
    • Sojourner Truth
    • Harriet Tubman
    • Booker T. Washington
    • Ida B. Wells

    Overview

    • Civil Rights Timeline
    • African-American Civil Rights Timeline
    • Magna Carta
    • Bill of Rights
    • Emancipation Proclamation
    • Glossary and Terms

    Works Cited

    History >> Biography >> Civil Rights for Kids

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    Biography for Kids: Ruby Bridges (2024)

    FAQs

    Who was Ruby Bridges for Kids summary? ›

    (born 1954). As a child, Ruby Bridges was one of the first Black students to attend formerly all-white schools in New Orleans, Louisiana. She was the only Black child to enroll at the city's William Frantz Elementary School in 1960, when she was six years old.

    Who is Ruby Bridges biography? ›

    Ruby Bridges is a civil rights activist who at the age of six was the first Black stu- dent to integrate an all-white elementary school in New Orleans. She was born in Mississippi in 1954, the same year the United States Supreme Court handed down its landmark decision ordering the integration of public schools.

    What did Ruby Bridges do for fun as a kid? ›

    Bridges was the eldest of five children born to Abon and Lucille Bridges. As a child, she spent much time taking care of her younger siblings, though she also enjoyed playing jump rope and softball and climbing trees.

    What happened to Ruby Bridges when she was 4? ›

    When she was four years old, her family moved to New Orleans. Two years later a test was given to the city's African American schoolchildren to determine which students could enter all-white schools. Bridges passed the test and was selected for enrollment at the city's William Frantz Elementary School.

    What was Ruby Bridges' real name? ›

    Ruby Nell Bridges Hall is an American Hero. She was the first African American child to desegregate William Frantz Elementary School. At six years old, Ruby's bravery helped pave the way for Civil Rights action in the American South.

    What is Ruby Bridges' fav food? ›

    For dinner, they ate New Orleans or Southern food like red beans and rice. Sometimes, they had fried catfish or shrimp for dinner. Ruby's favorite desserts were banana pudding and sweet potato pie.

    What is Ruby Bridges' favorite color? ›

    Wear purple! It's Ruby's favorite color. Ask your school to participate.

    Did Ruby Bridges get married? ›

    Ruby graduated from a desegregated high school, became a travel agent, married and had four sons.

    What is Ruby Bridges famous for? ›

    Ruby Bridges is an extraordinary figure in American history, renowned for her unwavering commitment and bravery as she became the first African American child to integrate an all-white elementary school in the South.

    What is Ruby Bridges' famous quote? ›

    1. “Don't follow the path. Go where there is no path and begin the trail. When you start a new trail equipped with courage, strength and conviction, the only thing that can stop you is you!”

    What is a random fact about Ruby Bridges? ›

    Did You Know? After Ruby began attending the all-white elementary school, her father lost his job, her grandparents were evicted, and her mother was refused service at the local grocery stores. Ruby was born the same year that Brown v. Board was decided in favor of desegregation.

    How were Ruby Bridges treated? ›

    Ruby faced blatant racism every day while entering the school. Many parents kept their children at home. People outside the school threw objects, police set up barricades. She was threatened and even “greeted" by a woman displaying a black doll in a wooden coffin.

    What are 5 important facts about Ruby Bridges? ›

    Ruby graduated from a desegregated high school, became a travel agent, married and had four sons. She was reunited with her first teacher, Henry, in the mid 1990s, and for a time the pair did speaking engagements together. Ruby later wrote about her early experiences in two books and received the Carter G.

    Did Ruby Bridges go to school alone? ›

    Bridges says she sees her 6-year-old self enduring a lonely and confusing year in the children's letters. After walking past mobs of protesters, Bridges attended classes alone — and did so for the full year. Some white families permanently withdrew their children from the school because Bridges was a student there.

    When did Ruby Bridges get married? ›

    Ruby Bridges was 29 or 30 at the time she married Malcolm Hall in 1984. Since their marriage, the couple has had four children together, all boys.

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