Introduction
"Please, dear God, forgive us, because we often don’t know what we’re doing.”
By Ruby Bridges
Ruby Bridges was the first African American who attended a whites-only William Frantz elementary school in Louisiana.
You will become her and go to school!
Task
BEFORE you move on to Ruby Bridges on the first day of school, please take a look at the following websites to learn about what was going on around her!
These websites will show you in-depth information about Ruby Bridges and her surroundings:
Video about Brown v. Board of Education: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/ruby-bridges-desegregates-her-school
Civil Rights Movement: https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/civil-rights-movement/403522
All about Ruby Bridges and Segregation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sytZGGs5sRs&ab_channel=HomeschoolPop
NOW you will walk through in Ruby Bridges' shoes and reflect on her experiences at her first school year as if you were her.
Think of how you would feel in that position and how you would react.
1. You will share your opinions with your elbow partner
2. You will write a reflection writing
3. You will come up with a kind word that will be used throughout the school year
Ruby Bridges was just a child, yet she played a pivotal role in the largest movement for equality in African American society in America.
Process
You are 6 years old Ruby Bridges.
Today is your first day to go to school finally! You dress clean and in nice clothes. You are nervous but excited to meet new classmates and teachers.
When you arrive at the school with your mom and two white male adults with guns, you hear a loud noise. Many white people are yelling and screaming. You wonder if there is an event going on.
Maybe?! How exciting!
The crowd is screaming angrily and pushing towards her.
You hear two white male adults threatening the crowd that they will arrest them.
Then you realize that the crowd was not having fun. They are angry.
THEN, you see the black baby doll in a coffin.
It frightens you all of a sudden.
Who are two white male adults?
Imagine you are escorted to the school and surrounded by an angry crowd. Why do you think the crowd is so angry at Ruby Bridges?
For more information to answer this question check these videos one more time:
Turn to your elbow partner and discuss why you think they are mad at you.
What would you do next?
You finally enter the school, but you do not see other students. The school building is empty and the classroom is also empty.
There is no one you can play, study, and eat lunch with. Not even a teacher.
Just a CHAOS...
The next day, you wake up from a nightmare that the coffin was flying around your bedroom at night.
Yet, you still decide to go to the school.
STILL escorted by two white males with a gun.
STILL surrounded by the angry crowd.
Then, you find out that you have a teacher!
Mrs. Henry
Despite the nightmares you had, studying and learning with Mrs. Henry was so much FUN.
Do you think it is fair to be surrounded by an angry crowd when you are just going to school to learn?
How should people be treated when they are going to school to learn?
Share your thoughts with your other elbow partner!
It is the usual day, walking to the school escorted by two Federal Marshals (police officers) surrounded by the angry crowd.
SUDDENLY
You stop in the middle of the crowd and speak to them.
People become even more furious!
The two federal marshals try to escort you into the building since they are worried about your safety, but you refuse to budge!
Let's see what she said to the crowd by watching 'The Story of Ruby Bridges'.
| Let's describe Ruby Bridges in words |
|---|
|
|
It has been several months since you attended school alone.
You noticed some students are back to school, but you were not allowed to study with them in the same classroom.
How strange that is.
Now, it has been almost a year since you studied with Mrs. Henry by yourself, all alone in the classroom.
Then, you are able to join a small class. Yay!
But, it is not exciting and fun at all.
You realized WHY you were escorted to the school, why the crowd was angry at you, and why you had to play, study, and eat all alone.
A little boy said, ‘My mom said not to play with you because you’re a nigger'
-> (Definition: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nigger)
Do you think sending just one child to integrate a previously all-white school was the right move to start achieving equality between African Americans and White Americans?
Do you think it is fair that she had to be separated because she looked different? Why or why not?
Talk to your elbow partner.
Now we will be watching this story from Ruby Bridges' perspective and her beliefs/goals!
Furthermore information:
This website provides insights into how Ruby Bridges felt about the process of desegregating schools by sending one black child to a previously all-white school:
From this website, you can also learn more about Ruby Bridges as a social justice activist when she grew up:
https://www.hilbert.edu/social-justice-activists/ruby-bridges
Extra information (doll test) to understand how biases can be built:
https://www.naacpldf.org/brown-vs-board/significance-doll-test/
Evaluation
Final evaluation: Reflection Writing
Talk about what equality means to you.
Do you think segregation was fair? Why or why not?
If you were Ruby Bridges or the government, what would you do differently? Would you send only one child to integrate a previously all-white school? Would you go to the white school by yourself even if you were escorted? Would you forgive the crowds?
More information to understand about segregation:
Rubric
| Writing Rubric | 4-Advanced | 3-Proficient | 2-Developing | 1-Beginning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demonstrate a deep understanding of the topic or text | Demonstrate a clear understanding of the topic or text | Demonstrates a limited understanding of the topic or text | Does not demonstrate understanding, or shows a misunderstanding, or topic or text | |
| Shows a relevant opinion with reasons that support the opinion | Shows a relevant opinion | The opinion is unrelated to the task | Opinion is not stated | |
| Briefly introduce the topic or text | Names the topic or text | The intended topic or text is unclear | Does not name the topic or text | |
| Effectively uses domain-specific vocabulary | Uses correct words and phrases through conversations, reading, being read to, and texts | Uses a basic vocabulary | Uses a limited vocabulary | |
| Write in simple and compound sentences | Writes in clear, simple sentences | Writes in simple sentences and phrases; occasional errors in usage do not interfere with meaning | Errors in usage are frequent; sentences are often difficult to understand | |
| Capitalizes the first word in a sentence, the pronoun I, names, and dates; uses some end punctuation | Capitalizes the first word in a sentence and the pronoun I | Inconsistently capitalizes the first word in a sentence and the pronoun I | Randomly uses upper and lower case letters, making the piece difficult to read | |
| Uses conventional spelling for words with common patterns and high-frequency words | Spells simple words phonetically, sound-letter relationships, and writes a letter/letters for most CVC sounds. | Writes a letter/letters for most initial and final consonant sounds | shows little understanding of sound-letter relationships |
Conclusion
Segregation...
Is it ok or not?
Through this assignment, you have now learned that people are born equal and should be treated equally.
It was not fair how she was mistreated by people, but she overcame it bravely. The world is and can also be unfair. Sometimes, you might feel like everything is turning against you. You might even have to start from the beginning! It can be scary to stand up again or not give up. Yet, Ruby Bridges was only 6 years old with great courage and made a positive impact on the world.
She was kind to people who were unfair to her. She spread kindness.
Do you think you can do the same?
As a whole class, we will come up with words that you would like to hear when you walk into a new place. We will continue to use those words when welcoming new guests, and friends, or whenever we see each other in the morning.
<Below is further information about Ruby Bridges>
This is how Ruby Bridges influenced schools. What do you think?
https://www.murrayjournal.com/2024/02/09/480854/students-learn-impact-ruby-bridges-had-on-schools-as-event-promotes-kindness
This is how she inspires until today. What can you learn from her?
https://www.saferoutesnj.org/ruby-bridges-a-pioneering-civil-rights-activist-who-continues-to-inspire-today/
Furthermore, resources related to inequality:
https://www.thirteen.org/wnet/slavery/teachers/index.html
Credits
National Women's History
https://www.womenshistory.org/
Civil Rights
https://kids.britannica.com/
https://youtu.be/cgjDPa15NLs
Listen to the story from Ruby Bridges
https://youtu.be/dkMDD2L70Sg
Ruby Bridges Social justice activist
https://www.hilbert.edu/
Brainpop
https://jr.brainpop.com/
Scholastic
https://sn1.scholastic.com/
https://www.scholastic.com/
Ruby Bridges’ Impacting on School
https://www.murrayjournal.com/
Furthermore, resources related to inequality:
https://www.thirteen.org/
https://www.zinnedproject.org/
CreateWebquest
https://www.createwebquest.com/