Naked Man Moleskin

November 14, 1960. New Orleans, Louisiana. Rubie Bridges walked with her mother and four us marshals to her new school for the first time. At the age of six, Ruby was the first to break the segregation barrier and attend an all white school. Ruby was African American.

The decision to attend was not easy. Her father was against it fearing for safety. Her mother supported it to allow Ruby to get a good education and be an example to all young african american girls.

Going wasn’t easy either. The entire school boycotted going the first day. people hurled insults and death threats. One woman displayed a baby’s coffin with a black Doll inside, another threatened to poison her food. Only one teacher agreed to teach her; all others refused. And though the white children broke their boycott, Ruby remained alone in her class all year. But a single first grader joined her.

Her family suffered to. Her dad lost his job. the local grocery store refused to sell to them. Her grandparents were kicked off their land as sharecroppers. And her parents separated.

All this because the bravest six year old went to school.

My son is six. I couldn’t imagine the trauma he’d have to endure if something like this would happen. My heart would break. And to think of my 9 yr old daughter suffering through this.

But Ruby did it. She is one of the strongest people in the world. She muscled through the hate, the bile, the sheer evil of people so wrongly convinced of their superiority. Ruby was strong.

So don’t confuse strength with muscles. Despite the hard work here, we may be called someday to be strong elsewhere. It may look nothing like a Merkin.