On November 14, 1960, six-year-old Ruby Bridges became one of the first Black children to integrate an all-white elementary school in the Deep South when she entered William Frantz Elementary in New Orleans. Federal marshals escorted her past angry crowds protesting desegregation. Many white parents withdrew their children, and one teacher agreed to teach Ruby alone in a classroom. Despite threats and isolation, she attended daily, supported by her family and civil rights advocates. Her courage was later immortalized in paintings and books, including Norman Rockwell’s famous image “The Problem We All Live With.” Ruby Bridges’ experience highlighted both the human cost and the determination behind school integration after Brown v. Board of Education.
