Someone Has to go First

What an amazing, life changing choice this little girl made at the age of six to be the first black child to attend an all white school. In 1960 Ruby Bridges entered William Franz Elementary School amidst US Marshalls, angry mobs and rioting crowds trying to prevent her from entering. She was the symbol of integration, yet that choice did not lead to her own solid education. In fact it prevented it. Teachers protected her by leaving her in classrooms by herself, fearing for her safety. She ate alone, sat alone and often learned alone. Being a symbol of the first at something can really stink. Her father lost his job, her mother could not find stores that would let her grocery shop, and her grandparents who were share croppers were evicted. Eventually Ruby graduated from a desegregated high school, became a travel agent, married and had four sons. What a road she traveled, being the first does not always mean you will be treated the best.

It is an incredible story how we SAY we want things to change and yet behind the scenes not everyone agrees. Being a symbol of hope, of change, of how things SHOULD be does not always go well. It is often the rockiest of roads with the people we love being victims of the very thing we are working to fight. I love this quote from Ruby Bridges:

If kids have the opportunity to come to get to know each other, they can judge for themselves who they want their friends to be.

– Ruby Bridges

The gentleness in her words reminds us that too many things in life are legislated, decided upon or even demanded by adults…all the while the children play together on the school yard without thought or fear of people who look different from themselves. How different this world would be if we had a little more child-like faith that people are more like us than they may appear. Across the world parents love their children – whether those parents are Communists, Atheists, or Hippies. Across the land children like playing outside, being silly and running around – whether those children are black, white, or some other shade of something or other. And most parents would do ANYTHING to protect their child – even throw stones at a six year old black child entering a white school for the first time – if they thought it would protect their child who looked differently than that six year old. As adults we have a long way to go.

Ruby and her family took a big hit for integration. Their lives were forever changed by the awful serendipities of gong first. We all want to see the triumphant scenes in the photos, never realizing the true story behind the scenes. The good news is that Ruby earned her education, built a career, a family and still talks to this day about her experience. Let us give thanks to the innocent children who pave the way to change without fearing what might come next. Someone has to go first, so let us applaud those who do….going first isn’t always the exciting path it is cracked up to be. AND let us be reminded in Ruby’s words that children will figure it out, they can judge for themselves who they want their friends to be.