Ruby Bridges and the Walk Into School
On November 14, 1960, six-year-old Ruby Bridges walked toward an elementary school in New Orleans, Louisiana. Four federal marshals, officers sent by the national government, accompanied her. Ruby was going to first grade, but her arrival marked a historic change for the school and the city.
Ruby was born on September 8, 1954, in Mississippi. That same year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education that separating children in public schools because of race was unconstitutional. This ruling meant that such separation violated the Constitution, the nation’s highest law. Even so, many communities resisted changing their schools.
At the time, Louisiana maintained segregated schools. Black children and white children were required to attend different schools, and Black schools often received fewer resources. Ending this separation was called desegregation. A court ordered New Orleans to desegregate its public schools, but the process moved slowly.
Ruby was one of several Black children who passed a test used to decide which students could attend formerly all-white schools. She was assigned to William Frantz Elementary School. On her first day, the federal marshals escorted her into the building because officials expected opposition to desegregation.
- historic:
- Important in history
- resisted:
- Opposed or tried to stop
- resources:
- Money, materials, or other things that can be used to help
- opposition:
- Disagreement with or resistance to something
- protest:
- To publicly show disagreement
- hardships:
- Difficult experiences or conditions
- movement:
- An organized effort by people working toward change
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1Why did Ruby’s arrival at William Frantz Elementary mark a historic change?
- 2How did the Supreme Court ruling and the court order in New Orleans help bring about change?
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About this explanatory article passage for Upper Elementary
“Ruby Bridges and the Walk Into School” is a explanatory article reading passage about School desegregation, written for Upper Elementary. It takes about 3 minutes to read (464 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.