William Frantz
William Frantz Elementary School--Photo Courtesy of the Greater New Orleans--
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The first day that Ruby Bridges was to attend her new school, she had to be escorted by US Marshals. The marshals came to her house on the morning of November 14th to pick up her and her mother. He explained to them that when they got to the school there would be two marshals who would walk in front of them and two who would walk behind so that they would be protected from both sides. The marshal told Ruby one important thing and that was to not look back, no matter what. When they arrived at the school, there were tons and tons of protestors shouting terrible things. Some protestors were shouting that they were going to poison Ruby; others were saying they were going to hurt her, and one woman held a black doll in a coffin. Although, with all this atrocity going on around Ruby, she was not afraid. Ruby did not know that these people were protesting her going to the school, she thought that they were just people from a Marti Gras parade. When she made it inside the school, she sat in the principal’s office and watched as angry parents rushed in and took their kids out of school. The next day, Ruby went through the same mob bravely and met her teacher, Mrs. Henry. Mrs. Henry was the only white teacher willing to teach Ruby. Ruby was the only one in her class and she never got to see or interact with the other white kids. When she was at the school, she also was not allowed to go to recess, the lunchroom, or use the bathroom alone. Ruby had to eat lunch alone in the classroom and didn’t have any friends, however, she made a very strong bond with her teacher. Throughout Ruby’s school year, Mrs. Henry was the only white person that was loving and kind to her.
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