What Happened To Ruby Bridges Teacher

On november 14 1960 she was escorted to class by her mother and u s.

What happened to ruby bridges teacher. By barbara henry as told to scott helman july 11 2014. At the tender age of six ruby bridges advanced the cause of civil rights in november 1960 when she became the first african american student to integrate an elementary school in the south. Ruby bridges in full ruby nell bridges married name ruby bridges hall born september 8 1954 tylertown mississippi u s american activist who became a symbol of the civil rights movement and who was at age six the youngest of a group of african american students to integrate schools in the american south. When the year ended henry moved and the two lost touch.

Teaching ruby bridges fifty years after the civil rights act an educator on the front lines of desegregation is still sharing her lessons. The eldest of five children ruby s parents relocated the family to new orleans louisiana when she was four. The entire school emptied out. The only two people left were ruby bridges and her teacher barbara henry who was white and the only teacher willing to teach a black student.

14 1960 she entered history but she didn t make it to class. For one year henry taught bridges alone. Ruby bridges and her teacher barbara henry then and now. Henry had gone to girls latin school in boston where we learned to appreciate and enjoy our important commonalities amid our external differences of class.

When 6 year old ruby bridges walked up the steps of william frantz elementary school on nov. Three months and 22 days before ruby s birth the united states supreme court ruled the segregation of schools for black students and white students was unconstitutional. Forty six years later after katrina flooded the city devastated the school and triggered a new round of racial upheaval ruby bridges is back this time on her own accord to save the school. Barbara henry born january 1 1932 is a retired american teacher most notable for teaching ruby bridges the first african american child to attend the all white william frantz elementary school located in new orleans.

Ruby bridges was six when she became the first african american child to integrate a white southern elementary school. Ruby bridges was born in 1954 in tylertown mississippi.