Ruby Bridges And Mrs Henry

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.

Ruby bridges and mrs henry. 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. When the year ended henry moved and the two lost touch. Ruby bridges and her teacher barbara henry then and now. In the end ruby was the only student in first grade teacher barbara henry s class for more than one year.

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. Even though the school was integrated the classrooms were not. Ruby nell bridges hall born september 8 1954 is an american civil rights activist. 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.

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. 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 was the only black child to attend william frantz school. The rest of the year it was just ruby and mrs.

For one year henry taught bridges alone. This is where my son re enters the picture. By barbara henry as told to scott helman july 11 2014. She had a white teacher named mrs.

It was a turbulent time for race relations in the. Teaching ruby bridges fifty years after the civil rights act an educator on the front lines of desegregation is still sharing her lessons. 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.