When did Ruby Bridges go to school? Exploring where the activist is now amid the removal of Disney movie from classes 

Earlier this month, the Disney movie Ruby Bridges was banned from North Shore Elementary in St. Petersburg after a parent at the school complained about the racial element of the film, saying that it was inappropriate for impressionable second graders.

The 1998 Disney movie Ruby Bridges, which has been an essential viewing material during Black History Month, is the true story of a black 6-year-old girl who became the first child to attend the historically all-white William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans in 1960 after Louisiana received a federal court order to begin integrating public schools.

The movie's titular character, Ruby Bridges, who was born in 1954, gained national prominence after she became the first black child to desegregate schools in New Orleans on November 14, 1960. Bridges, who was isolated from her white peers despite the court ruling to integrate, faced routine discrimination until she graduated from the school.

Following the harrowing experience as a child, who was plunged into a world of racism, Bridges, who is now 67, became a lifelong activist for racial equality. Bridges, who still resides in New Orleans, would also go on to pen several books about her experiences as the only black child in a predominantly white school.

---

Ruby Bridges founded a foundation which advocates change through education

The author’s most recent release is a children’s book titled I Am Ruby Bridges: How one six-year-old girl's march to school changed the world. The book depicts the story of the day she marched into the all-white school in 1960, alongside federal marshals who escorted her amid the throngs of angry white protestors who had gathered outside to oppose the historic moment. Bridges also established The Ruby Bridges Foundation, which promotes tolerance and change through education.

The Disney movie Ruby Bridges was banned from Pinellas school district after a North Shore Elementary parent, Emily Conklin, stopped her kid from seeing the movie and later wrote a letter to school officials stating her displeasure. The parent wrote that scenes where Ruby is seen being racially abused by white people while attending an all-white school send a negative message to young children that white people despise black people.

The controversial ban has raised concerns among activists as schools in Florida have become despotic about banning reading materials that they consider to be "inappropriate” for students. The recent ban is reminiscent of an incident earlier this year where Pinellas school district officials banned Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye from all high schools after a Palm Harbor University high parent complained about a two-page assault scene.

---

According to the Tampa Bay Times, shortly after officials banned Ruby Bridges, a nationwide activist group that represents the interests of black children in Pinellas public schools, sent an open letter to the community expressing concerns about the decision to ban historically accurate instructive material based on a complaint from a single-parent. They wrote,

“Many from historically marginalized communities are asking whether this so-called integrated education system in Pinellas County can even serve the diverse community fairly and equitably.”

The publication, citing state enrollment records, noted that Pinellas district school children are predominantly white and hold 51 per cent of the seats. The records stated that 20 per cent are Hispanic, 19 per cent are Black, and 4 per cent are Asian. The letter also questioned the leadership of school superintendent Kevin Hendricks. They added:

“This approach to challenging times in education in our state raises serious questions about Superintendent (Kevin) Hendrick’s leadership.”

Former St. Petersburg police chief and deputy mayor Goliath Davis also criticized the move to ban the movie.