Ruby Bridges, an emblem of courage and resilience, is renowned for her pivotal role in the civil rights movement of the 1960s. As the first African American child to attend an all-white elementary school in the South, she faced bigotry, hatred, and violence, yet persevered with grace and fortitude. Ruby’s journey symbolizes the struggle for equality and justice in America, inspiring generations with her unwavering commitment to breaking down barriers and fostering change.
Born on September 8, 1954, in Tylertown, Mississippi, Ruby Bridges became a symbol of hope and progress at just six years old. In 1960, amidst the turbulent era of racial segregation, Ruby was thrust into the national spotlight when she integrated William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans, Louisiana. Accompanied by federal marshals for her safety, Ruby braved the hostility of protesters daily, demonstrating remarkable courage in the face of adversity. Despite the threats and hostility directed at her, Ruby’s steadfast determination paved the way for educational equality and laid the foundation for future strides in the civil rights movement. Below, discover poignant quotes from Ruby Bridges that continue to resonate with truth and empowerment.
Evil looks like you and I. I know what evil looks like, and I know that it comes in all shades and colors. Ruby Bridges
We must absolutely take care of one another. Ruby Bridges
I remember what it was like at age 6, not really understanding what was going on around me, but having all these grown-up thoughts running through my head about what I was facing, why this was happening. Ruby Bridges
Now that I’m a parent, I know that my parents were incredibly brave. Ruby Bridges
Every day, I would show up, and there were no kids, just me and my teacher in my classroom. Every day, I would be escorted by marshals past a mob of people protesting and boycotting the school. This went on for a whole year. Ruby Bridges
Administrations and administrative faculty work very hard to see that schools are diverse as much as possible. Ruby Bridges
We have to take care of each other’s children. Ruby Bridges
I believe that we have to come together, and we have to rely on the goodness of each other. Ruby Bridges
We have tolerance, respect, and equality in our written laws but not in the hearts of some of our people. Ruby Bridges
Throughout my life, my prayers have actively sustained me – held me up, carried me through. Ruby Bridges
I think that racism is ugly and so unfair, and I believe that we all need one another. Ruby Bridges
We all have a common enemy, and it is evil. Ruby Bridges
We may not all be equally guilty. But we are all equally responsible for building a decent and just society. Ruby Bridges
I’m the mother of four. Ruby Bridges
All of our schools should be good enough to attract a healthy racial mix, which, I believe, leads to the most effective learning for everybody. Ruby Bridges
From age 7 to about 37, I had a normal life and not a very easy one. Ruby Bridges
I remember turning onto the street. I saw barricades and police officers and, just, people everywhere. When I saw all of that, I immediately thought that it was Mardi Gras. I had no idea that they were here to keep me out of the school. Ruby Bridges
The mission of the Ruby Bridges Foundation is to create educational opportunities like science camp that allow children from different racial, cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds to build lasting relationships. Ruby Bridges
The greatest lesson I learned that year in Mrs. Henry’s class was the lesson Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to teach us all: Never judge people by the color of their skin. God makes each of us unique in ways that go much deeper. Ruby Bridges
I want to inspire kids. Ruby Bridges
It’s taken me a long time to own the early part of my life. Ruby Bridges
My family – my mother and father had gone through such a hard time that by the time I graduated from sixth grade, they were separated. Ruby Bridges
I’ve seen schools in Detroit where the windows are broken, where there’s no heat, and children are sitting with their coats on in class in the middle of a snowstorm. I’ve also seen schools in California with Olympic-sized swimming pools and cafeterias like five-star restaurants. Ruby Bridges
When I think about our babies today and them not being safe in school, I think that should be the next civil rights movement, you know, is to ban the assault weapons so that our babies can be safe. Ruby Bridges
I was the first black child to desegregate the all-white William Frantz Elementary School in Louisiana in 1960. Ruby Bridges
I believe in my prayers. Ruby Bridges
My mother and our pastor always said you have to pray for your enemies and people who do you wrong, and that’s what I did. Ruby Bridges
If we’re gonna get past our our racial differences, it’s gonna come from our kids, but they have to be together to do that. Ruby Bridges
None of our kids come into the world knowing anything about disliking one another. Ruby Bridges
I had never seen a white teacher before, but Mrs. Henry was the nicest teacher I ever had. Ruby Bridges
I remember the first time seeing myself on TV, when my family was watching the documentary ‘Eyes on the Prize’ for the first time. There were pictures of people going up the school stairs, and Mom said, ‘Oh, that’s you!’ I said, ‘I can’t believe this. This is important.’ Ruby Bridges
The people I passed every morning as I walked up the school’s steps were full of hate. They were white, but so was my teacher, who couldn’t have been more different from them. She was one of the most loving people I had ever known. Ruby Bridges
Once my school was integrated, and I was there with white kids and a few black kids, it really didn’t matter to us what we looked like. Ruby Bridges
I like to share my story with children, and they are amazed by the story. Ruby Bridges
Racism is a grown-up disease, and we should stop using our kids to spread it. Ruby Bridges
I do think that some people are born as old souls. Ruby Bridges
Kids come into the world with clean hearts, fresh starts. Ruby Bridges
Evil isn’t prejudiced. It doesn’t care what you look like; it just wants a place to rest. It’s up to you whether you give it that place. Ruby Bridges
If my mama said not to do something, I didn’t do it. Ruby Bridges
We keep racism alive. We pass it on to our children. I think that is very sad. Ruby Bridges
I would dream that this coffin had wings, and it would fly around my bed at night, and so it was a dream that happened a lot, and that’s what frightened me. Ruby Bridges
I think racism is something that is passed on and taught to our kids, and that’s a shame. Ruby Bridges
It’s time to get past our racial differences. We owe it to our children to help them keep their clean start. Ruby Bridges
Our babies know nothing about hate or racism. But soon they begin to learn – and only from us. Ruby Bridges
It’s not who you’re going to sit beside at school that matters now: it’s what resources will your school have. Ruby Bridges
Schools should be diverse if we are to get past racial differences. Ruby Bridges
I believe it doesn’t do yourself any good to hate. Ruby Bridges
What I do remember about first grade and that year was that it was very lonely. I didn’t have any friends, and I wasn’t allowed to go to the cafeteria or play on the playground. What bothered me most was the loneliness in school every day. Ruby Bridges
My mother had taught me that the only thing you could depend on was your faith, and I had that. Ruby Bridges
When the scary subject of race is finally broached, kids want to talk and talk. It’s very satisfying. Ruby Bridges
If you really think about it, if we begin to teach history exactly the way that it happened – good, bad, ugly, no matter what – I believe that we’re going to find that we are closer, more connected than we are apart. Ruby Bridges
You cannot look at a person and tell whether they’re good or bad. Ruby Bridges
That’s really what my work is all about – bringing kids together. Ruby Bridges
I felt like there was something I needed to do – speaking to kids and sharing my story with them and helping them understand racism has no place in the minds and hearts of children. Ruby Bridges
I pray for my enemies, that God would forgive them. Ruby Bridges
Racism is a form of hate. We pass it on to our young people. When we do that, we are robbing children of their innocence. Ruby Bridges
We as African Americans knew that if we wanted to see change, we had to step up to the plate and make that change ourselves. Not everyone comes to that realization in their lives, but thank God Linda Brown’s father felt that way. Ruby Bridges
There are all kinds of monuments to adults – usually dead and usually white. But we don’t often lift up the extraordinary work of children. Ruby Bridges
You cannot look at a person and judge him or her by the color of their skin. Ruby Bridges
I’m not a very public person. Ruby Bridges
I never got the chance to meet Linda Brown; there were several times we were supposed to meet or be on the same stage together, but life gets in the way, and it never happened. Ruby Bridges
I wanted to use my experience to teach kids that racism has no place in hearts and minds. Ruby Bridges
If kids have the oportunity to come together to get to know one another, they can judge for themselves who they want their friends to be. All children should have that choice. We, as adults, shouldn’t make those choices for children. That’s how racism starts. Ruby Bridges
As African-Americans, people of that generation felt pretty much if they were going to see changes in the world, they had to make sacrifices and step up to the plate. I’m very proud that my parents happened to be people who did. They were not privileged to have a formal education. Ruby Bridges
We’d get these boxes of clothing in the mail, and my mom would say, ‘What makes you think all this is for you? You’ve got a sister right behind you.’ So then I realized, we’re all in this together. We have to help each other. Ruby Bridges
If we are about what is good today, then we that are good need to come together to fight what’s bad out there. Ruby Bridges
A lot of my strength came from my upbringing. Ruby Bridges
Kids really don’t care about what their friends look like. Ruby Bridges
Wisdom is a gift but has nothing to do with age. That was probably the case with me. Ruby Bridges
Somehow, it always worked. Kneeling at the side of my bed and talking to the Lord made everything okay. Ruby Bridges
What we, as African Americans, stood on was our faith. Ruby Bridges
