What Happened To Ruby Bridges Teacher

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.

What happened to ruby bridges teacher.

Henry had gone to girls latin school in boston where we learned to appreciate and enjoy our important commonalities amid our external differences of class. At the tender age of six ruby bridges advanced the cause of civil rights in november 1960 when she became the first african american student to integrate an elementary school in the south. Teaching ruby bridges fifty years after the civil rights act an educator on the front lines of desegregation is still sharing her lessons. When the year ended henry moved and the two lost touch.

Ruby bridges and her teacher barbara henry then and now. Ruby bridges was born in 1954 in tylertown mississippi. The eldest of five children ruby s parents relocated the family to new orleans louisiana when she was four. Born on september 8 1954 bridges was the oldest of five children for lucille and abon bridges farmers in tylertown mississippi.

Ruby bridges was six when she became the first african american child to integrate a white southern elementary school. The only two people left were ruby bridges and her teacher barbara henry who was white and the only teacher willing to teach a black student. 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. On november 14 1960 she was escorted to class by her mother and u s.

The entire school emptied out. Three months and 22 days before ruby s birth the united states supreme court ruled the segregation of schools for black students and white students was unconstitutional. When 6 year old ruby bridges walked up the steps of william frantz elementary school on nov. 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.

By barbara henry as told to scott helman july 11 2014. 14 1960 she entered history but she didn t make it to class.