In 1998 Disney presented the inspiring true story of one little girl whose strength and dignity during the racially charged 1960s helped change history! When bright six-year-old Ruby Bridges was chosen to be the first African-American student to integrate her local New Orleans elementary school, she is subjected to the true ugliness of racism for the very first time. But guided by the love of her mother and father, Ruby's heroic struggle for a better education is a lesson for us all. Since then, this movie has been an icon of the Civil Rights movement and is shown in both elementary and middle schools, especially during Black History Month.

    On January 18, 1998 the movie premiered on "The Wonderful World of Disney" as a two hour made for TV movie and was introduced to the nation by Disney President Michael Eisner and the United State President Bill Clinton at the White House. In 1998 America, many millions watched Commercial television mainly either one of three major networks, ABC, CBS, and NBC. Cable TV was just growing in the nation, cell phones were very primitive, and channels like Netflix did not exist. Multimedia and streaming video on the Internet was very limited. Teachers all over the country began showing this film in schools from the DVD after the turn of the century.

    In an article published in 2000, Ruby started the interview with:

    "Take another look at the cover of this magazine. The little girl on the left is me in November 1960, walking up the steps of William Frantz Public School in New Orleans, the first black student at the formerly all-white elementary school. That's me now, on the right, married, a mother of four. Forty years separate those pictures.

    Forty years that brought incredible change in our country, forged in the crucible of the civil rights movement and the battle to end segregation. Forty years that changed me as well."

    This "Something to Talk About" program will close the 2018 Black History Month Celebration at North Campus. The program will last about 55 minutes with video clips from the movie, actual newsreel video from 1960, and very important interviews of the actual persons involved.

    Several Artifacts will be displayed including my framed print of the Normal Rockwell's
"The Problem We All Live With" where the original painting hangs in the White House.

    The program will end with Where is Ruby Bridges today in 2018?

    Several handouts will be available for the audience

Former U.S. Deputy Marshal Charles Burks later recalled:

"She showed a lot of courage. She never cried. She didn't whimper. She just marched along like a little soldier, and we're all very-very proud of her."

Early life:

   Ruby Bridges was born in Tylertown, Mississippi, to Abon and Lucille Bridges. When she was four years old, the family relocated to New Orleans, Louisiana.

   In 1960, when she was six years old, her parents responded to a request from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

Integration: