Celebrate Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day

Thursday, November 14, 2024

On November 14, 1960, Ruby Bridges made history at age 6 by attending her first day at an all-white school. The US Supreme Court had ruled for an end to racial segregation in public schools with Brown v. the Board of Education in 1954. However, integration did not happen right away, as southern states continued to resist. Ruby spent kindergarten in a segregated classroom. In 1960 a federal court ordered Louisiana schools to desegregate. Ruby passed the entrance exam and was ready to enter William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans with two other African American students who were going to attend with Ruby. When the other two students decided to stay in their home school, Ruby went by herself with four federal marshals to school, facing discrimination from white students and their families.

Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day (RBWTSD) is commemorated every November 14th. This gives children the opportunity to honor Ruby’s legacy in the Civil Rights Movement. We hope that by walking to school with their community, students feel empowered to make a positive impact no matter their age.

Visit the Ruby Bridges Foundation for more information.

RBWTSD came about in 2018 when a group of fifth-graders from Martin Elementary School in South San Francisco, California, learned about Ruby and asked their school board to make November 14 Ruby Bridges Day. The San Mateo County Board of Education passed a resolution endorsing November 14 as Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day in San Mateo County. Fourteen schools participated in 2018 and 25 participated in 2019, honoring Ruby’s courage by celebrating this walk to school day.

This video and timeline, created by the San Mateo Safe Routes to School program, are great resources for your classroom to learn about Ruby Bridges. For more resources, including lesson plans, music, podcasts, and books, visit the RBWTSD Resource Page.