Civil rights icon Ruby Bridges remembers the day she desegregated New Orleans school
On Nov. 14, 1960, 6-year-old Ruby Bridges was surrounded by loved ones and her New Orleans community, unaware of the significance of what she was about to do.
During the height of the Civil Rights Movement and living in a post-Brown v. Board of Education world, Bridges was among more than 100 students to volunteer to be the first Black children to integrate white schools.
Though when the day came, Bridges would become known for walking her path alone.
She is remembered for the two iconic photos of her walking out of school escorted by multiple U.S. Marshals and the photo of those same U.S. Marshals escorting her and her mother to school through a sea of protesters. Bridges recalled not knowing they were protesting against her.
"What really protected me is the innocence of a child," Bridges said at an event Thursday. "Because even though you all saw that and I saw what you saw, my 6-year-old mind didn't tell me that I needed to be afraid. Like why would I be afraid of a crowd? I see that all the time.
"So, I remember the car opened and they rushed us inside of the building and when I got inside the building, my first thought was I'm on my way to college. I'm so smart everybody came obviously to see this 6-year-old go to college."
Bridges spoke about the historic moment Thursday for more than 1,000 Kansas students in Topeka at Washburn University to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education and the 64th anniversary of that first walk to school.
"I'm so glad so many of our young people from across the state of Kansas were able to come and hear her tell what I would call a poignant story," said Beryl New, panelist and newly elected Kansas State Board of Education member.
New said Bridges gave the audience a call to action during her speech Thursday.
"We will know what we need to do when we leave White Concert Hall today," New said.
What is the Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day?
During the conversation with Bridges, Gov. Laura Kelly signed a proclamation officially making Thursday Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day in Kansas. In celebration of the walk Bridges made as she desegregated the New Orleans school, children across the country walk alongside each other on Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day.
This is the second year Kansas schools have participated in the national effort to recognize desegregation. National Education Association President Becky Pringle on Thursday also visited three Kansas schools: Williams Science and Arts Magnet School and Pauline Central Primary School in Topeka and Eugene Ware Elementary School in Kansas City, Kansas.
"Becky has visited Kansas several times as an advocate for our members. Today, we are thrilled to have her with us celebrating the rich culture, heritage, and history that still shapes our fight for equality in public schools today," said Kansas National Education Association President Sherri Schwanz in a written statement.
Ruby Bridges talks history textbooks, racism
Bridges said history should be taught the way it happened and that books like hers shouldn't be banned in schools for telling the truth.
"Why are we still using books, textbooks that we know are obsolete?" Bridges asked. "Everyone is not represented in those books. History does not get taught the way history happened. So, let's take all of the books off the shelves, let's rewrite them, and let's start telling the truth and learning history."
Bridges emphasized that racism is a learned behavior and isn't a born evil.
"Racism is a grown disease," Bridges said. "We should stop using our kids to spread it."
Bridges said she still stays in touch with the white teacher she had when she integrated school because she truly cared.
"We know that there's a white person who helped you," Bridges said. "You can't judge all people the same way, and white people can't judge all of us the same way."
Bridges said the idea you can only trust people who look like you won't work in the long run.
"Racism is just another tool to divide us," she said.