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Ruby Bridges is an American civil rights activist who became famous in 1960 for being the first Black child to attend an all-white elementary school in the South. Born in 1954 in Tylertown, Mississippi, Bridges grew up in a family of sharecroppers and experienced racism and discrimination from a young age.
In 1960, at the age of six, Bridges was selected to be one of the first Black children to integrate the New Orleans public school system. Despite facing harassment and threats from white protesters, Bridges bravely attended William Frantz Elementary School every day, escorted by federal marshals.
Bridges’ bravery and determination inspired the nation and helped to bring attention to the issue of segregation in American schools. Her experience was chronicled in the famous painting “The Problem We All Live With” by artist Norman Rockwell, which depicted Bridges walking to school surrounded by the marshals.
After Bridges completed elementary school, she continued her education and went on to become a civil rights activist herself, working to promote racial equality and justice. She has received numerous awards for her activism, including the Presidential Citizens Medal from President Bill Clinton in 2001.
Today, Bridges continues to be an important figure in the civil rights movement and an advocate for education and equality. She founded the Ruby Bridges Foundation, which aims to promote tolerance and respect for diversity, and has worked to inspire future generations to stand up for justice and equality.
