All five ecological systems will be discussed in this essay. Whether it is Ruby and her immediate family, how Ruby was treated in school among her peers, or the mesosystem regarding Ruby’s teachers at the white school, Ruby and Ruby were subject to Ruby’s fears. Ruby also experienced racism from her father. We will discuss these and other topics below.
Ruby Nell Bridges was a daughter of Tylertown, Mississippi on September 8, 1954. Her parents were sharecroppers. These people rented land to others and paid them with crops rather than money. Ruby and her family moved from Texas to New Orleans in 1958. Ruby lived in a predominantly African-American neighborhood. Her mother was a night worker, and her father was an attendant at a service station. She was 6 years old and already had many siblings. She was their watchdog and did an excellent job. Ruby Bridges had a life that didn’t involve anything on her block. However, all was about change. Ruby began kindergarten at Johnson Lockett elementary school when she was just five years old. Ruby was raised in a predominantly black school and made many friends. Johnson Lockett, a white school administrator, was given the task of testing kindergarteners in order to determine if they would be able to succeed in white schools. Lucille donned Ruby’s Sunday outfit and took Ruby to school. Ruby’s parents were informed by several NAACP representatives that Ruby had passed the test. They were to send her to William Frantz Elementary school. It was much closer than Johnson Lockett. Ruby didn’t really understand the situation, but she was determined to.
Ruby Bridges arrived at her new school in November 1960. William Frantz Elementary school was an all-white school. Many protested its integration. The day school was delayed because of a government solution. Her mother explained that even though there were many people outside her school, she said she was not afraid. Many federal marshals appeared at her door on that November morning to say they would escort the young woman to her new school. A large crowd gathered outside William Frantz’s school when they arrived. The mob shouted and held signs. Ruby completed her 1st grade year and was now able to accept the situation. She attended school with the exact same respect she displayed in 1st. She went on to finish high school and become a flight attendant.
Ruby was an active participant in the Civil Rights Movement’s advancements as she grew older. Ruby established “The Ruby Bridges Foundation”, whose motto was “RACISM IS A Grass-Up Disease.” Let’s not allow children to spread racism. The foundation was created to help people stop being racists and prevent injustices from occurring again. Ruby proved that even little children as young as six years old can fight racism. Ruby Bridges has been a hero of America in many ways. She showed the world that African-Americans can be just as competent as whites. She stood up against racism, nonviolently, at six years of age.
