Ruby Bridges And Mrs Henry

In 1960 a 6 year old girl named ruby bridges became a powerful symbol of the civil rights movement when she began attending the all white william frantz elementary school in new orleans.

Ruby bridges and mrs henry.

By barbara henry as told to scott helman july 11 2014. For one year henry taught bridges alone. Teaching ruby bridges fifty years after the civil rights act an educator on the front lines of desegregation is still sharing her lessons. In the end ruby was the only student in first grade teacher barbara henry s class for more than one year.

The rest of the year it was just ruby and mrs. She was nice and they became good friends. 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 nell bridges hall born september 8 1954 is an american civil rights activist.

In 1960 when a six year old african american girl named ruby bridges was allowed to enroll at the previously all white william frantz elementary school in new orleans louisiana no teacher was willing to teach her except barbara henry. She was in a classroom all by herself. She is the subject of a 1964 painting the problem we all live with by norman rockwell. 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.

It was a turbulent time for race relations in the. She had a white teacher named mrs. She was the first african american child to desegregate the all white william frantz elementary school in louisiana during the new orleans school desegregation crisis on 14 november 1960. Ruby was the only black child to attend william frantz school.

Even though the school was integrated the classrooms were not. In 1995 robert coles bridges child psychologist and a pulitzer prize winning author published the story of ruby bridges a children s picture book depicting her courageous story. When the year ended henry moved and the two lost touch.