Words: 585
Ruby Bridges was a young black girl who lived in New Orleans. Like the members of Little Rock Nine, Ruby was selected to go to an all white school due to the fact that she was smarter than other kids at her old school. The teachers treated her with respect, but not everyone. The students didn’t treat Ruby with respect at all because their parents didn’t want them to socialize with her. The only reason why the white children parents didn’t want their children at the school with her is Just because she was black.
Ruby Bridges parents (Lucille and Baboon Bridges) didn’t want her to go to an all white school because they were afraid that people might hurt Ruby with words and other cruel things. On Ruby’s first day at school-all day long- white angry parents rushed into the office expressing their opinions. Some parents even took their children out of school because they didn’t want their child to have to deal with a “little black girl. ” Could you imagine being singled out Just because you were black?
Ruby Bridges was not the only one that had to deal with cruelty at an all white school. Little Rock Nine is also a (n) example of black children who attended an all white school. The little Rock Nine contained 9 frightened but equal hopeful warriors. Their names were: Ernest Green, Elizabeth Gifford, Jefferson Thomas, Deterrence Roberts, Charlotte Walls, Meaning Brown, Gloria Ray, and Thelma Mothers-Hair. In September 1957, nine black teenagers signed up to go to the newly integrated Central High in Little Rock Arkansas.
As the days approached quickly for the Little Rock Nine to attend Central High, NAACP leader Daisy Bates arranged a police escort to drive the teenagers to school. Due to the fact that there were 9 of them, she never reached Elizabeth Oxford. And the next morning, the 15 year old set off to school alone. With Elizabethan every step, hateful words pierced her ears as she walked a block towards the school. By time Elizabeth reached the school, a guard blocks her way as she tries to slide/slither past him, up goes his riffle.
Only because she was colored attending an all white school, whites didn’t want her anywhere near their school, so they spat and/or yelled “Get her, Lynch her” What would you do if you was in this situation? Although the whites were coming at Elizabeth with strong comments, she and the 8 others went to school everyday, no matter what. In 1896, a rule was created saying “separate but equal. ” The result of many southern states passing laws saying that local school districts could decide whether or not to have operate schools for blacks & whites, were that schools in the south were segregated.
There have been many Brown vs.. Board of Education cases. Many young black people back in the days (of segregation) looked up to Ruby Bridges & Little Rock Nine, Just like our youth today looks up to our new president Barack Obama, our first black president. Just like he said we can make change, Little Rock Nine and Ruby Bridges striver to change the education system. In May of 1954, schools were to be desegregated by the Supreme Courts ruling. Even today, we should thank many people like Ruby Bridges and many more for what they did, and how they striver to make a change, to make today’s schools integrated.