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A brave little girl who became one of the first black children to attend an all-white public elementary school in the American South is being immortalized in bronze. Civil Rights Icon Ruby Bridges will be surrounded by three significant people who stood by her side more than five decades ago as part of a rare reunion as a new sculpture is dedicated in her honor.
It all takes place 54 years to the day that the innocent little 6-year-old girl made history by walking up the steps of what had been an all-white school. To commemorate the occasion, The Ruby Bridges Foundation will unveil a sculpture of Ruby Bridges as a child on Friday, Nov. 14, 2014 (4:00 p.m. CST). It is important to note that the event is much bigger than a statue. It is a celebration to honor children around the world and to let them know they have the power to make a difference just as Bridges has. The unveiling also paves the way for a once-in-a-lifetime reunion. Charles Burks, the last living federal marshal who walked Ruby past angry crowds and up the steps of the William Frantz School in 1960 will join Ruby’s former teacher Barbara Henry and Bridges’ mother Lucille Bridges for this historic event. It is the first time the four have been united in more than five decades.
“Though I did not know it then, nor would I come to realize it for many years, what transpired in the fall of 1960 in New Orleans would forever change my life and help shape a nation,” said Ruby Bridges. “When I think back on that time and all that has occurred since, I realize a lot has changed. I also know there is much more to be done. That fateful walk to school began a journey, and it is my dream that those who hear my story will help our nation move forward so no child will endure prejudice or discrimination in the future.”
The new sculpture by visionary artist Mario Chiodo depicts Ruby Bridges’ story on the grounds of the school where it all took place. The life-size rendering of the six-year-old child entering William Frantz School will serve as a testament to the courage of the children of the Civil Rights Movement. It is an extension of Chiodo’s work, Remember Them: Champions for Humanity, a monument that highlights extraordinary individuals who inspired others to make a difference in the world such as: Anne Frank (Jewish Holocaust witness), Ryan White (HIV/AIDS activist), Malala Yousafzai (Pakistani activist for female education), and the Little Rock Nine (group of black students who were initially prevented from entering a racially segregated school in Arkansas). “This monument is dedicated to all the children whose extraordinary sacrifices have contributed to the cause of social justice throughout the world. We must celebrate and nurture the power of children to pursue a more just society,” said Bridges.
The Power of Children gallery at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is near and dear to Bridges’ heart for that very reason. The exhibit follows three extraordinary children who faced enormous trials and struggled in immeasurable ways. They are Ryan White, Anne Frank and Ruby Bridges. Bridges’ classroom was re-created with meticulous attention to detail to demonstrate (through sound and light shows and actor interpreters) how she was taught alone in the classroom, ate lunch by herself, and was not allowed to go out to recess. She even had to be escorted to and from the restroom by federal marshals. Through the permanent exhibit at The Children’s Museum, Ruby believes she can better tell her story in an authentic way. “I want children to know I understand what it’s like to not be accepted and/or bullied. I want them to know that no one should be made to feel that way and that each one of them has the power to make a difference in the world. By telling my story in an interactive way, I believe families have a much clearer view of the story, how it unfolded and how it can continue to inspire them to take on social justice,” Bridges said.
Five decades after that first day at William Frantz, Bridges believes schools are actually becoming more segregated. She discusses racial equality and anti-bullying when she speaks to students in her re-created classroom at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis and across the country. Bridges strongly believes, in order to get past racial differences, we need to educate our children. “Racism is a grown-up disease. Let’s stop using kids to spread it,” is a slogan created by Bridges’ then 16-year-old son and those words now appear at the base of the new sculpture.
Bridges created the Ruby Bridges Foundation with the mission of fostering racial healing and promoting racial equity both locally and nationally. The Foundation’s mission is to create a learning environment that brings children together so that they can do what previous generations have not been able to do: embrace our racial and cultural differences so that we can move forward.
A special thank you to Chevron and Scholastic for their continued support and sponsorship.
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