WEST ORANGE, NJ – On Nov. 14, 1960, six year old Ruby Bridges walked through the doors of William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans, Louisiana. Normally, this would be an event of little import; however, Bridges made history as the first black child to enter the school as a student, effectively bringing integration to the formally segregated elementary school.

When the AAA Safety Patrollers from Martin Elementary School in San Francisco recently heard the story of Ruby Bridges, they began to ask why so few people seemed to know about her. They passionately took their message to the California State Legislature, and on Sept. 10, 2021, Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day became a reality: a resolution was passed endorsing November 14 as Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day. 

60 years later, students at St. Cloud Elementary School held their own Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day, bearing banners and posters that spoke of equality and how those seemingly small steps of a six-year-old child changed the world.

Schools across the country, including St. Cloud, have joined in on the civil rights movement supporting inclusivity and decrying racism “one step at a time.”

As St. Cloud students marched across Stagg Field, they proudly communicated their feelings about now-Civil Rights Activist Ruby Bridges and the importance of what she did.

Read more about Ruby Bridges and her Foundation HERE.