From the public
"Events pushed Ruby Bridges into history, and I think her parents wanted her to participate in the integration. Think of the pressure she had to go through as a young child. Some people when they are 18 could not do what she did. It is not age, but where your mind is at."
People often ask if Bridges could really be considered a leader since she was only six when she integrated William Frantz Elementry. We asked two sources who participated in the Integration of southern schools during the civil rights movement the same question, "Does the fact that Bridges was six when she integrated William Frantz make her to be considered less of a leader or less of a maker of history?"
William Phillips III, was one of many to go to an integrated high school in New Jersey. When asked this question, "Does the fact that Bridges was six when she integrated William Frantz make her to be considered less of a leader or less of a maker of history?", he replied "Age doesn’t matter. What matters is if the person is aware. That can happen at 6 or 50. Events pushed Ruby Bridges into history, and I think her parents wanted her to participate in the integration. And she passed a test to get into that school, one of 6 black children. She emphasized that in her adult life, you can be a leader at any age. Think of the pressure she had to go through as a young child, 6 years old. Some people when they are 18 could not do what she did. It is not age, it is where your mind is at."
Virginia Paskoff was the only white teacher at an African American school during the integration of schools in the civil rights movement in Baltimore, MD. When asked, "Does the fact that Bridges was six when she integrated William Frantz make her to be considered less of a leader or less of a maker of history?" She replied "I think the credit has to be shared because I think that her parents were the ones who really needed the courage as they were aware of what she was walking into. They had enough faith in their little girl to know that she could make a goal of it. I think that as Ruby got older, around the age of ten, situations got harder and life got more tough for her as she understood more. Overall, they were both very brave but I think initially her parents were the braver ones because they knew just how ugly or difficult it could be."
In conclusion, Phillips and Paskoff both agree that Bridges is brave and can be considered a leader and maker of history, but they both think that Bridges parents deserve credit for sending ruby to William Frantz, an act that took courage and bravery, therefore contributing to her leadership during the civil rights movement.
William Phillips III, was one of many to go to an integrated high school in New Jersey. When asked this question, "Does the fact that Bridges was six when she integrated William Frantz make her to be considered less of a leader or less of a maker of history?", he replied "Age doesn’t matter. What matters is if the person is aware. That can happen at 6 or 50. Events pushed Ruby Bridges into history, and I think her parents wanted her to participate in the integration. And she passed a test to get into that school, one of 6 black children. She emphasized that in her adult life, you can be a leader at any age. Think of the pressure she had to go through as a young child, 6 years old. Some people when they are 18 could not do what she did. It is not age, it is where your mind is at."
Virginia Paskoff was the only white teacher at an African American school during the integration of schools in the civil rights movement in Baltimore, MD. When asked, "Does the fact that Bridges was six when she integrated William Frantz make her to be considered less of a leader or less of a maker of history?" She replied "I think the credit has to be shared because I think that her parents were the ones who really needed the courage as they were aware of what she was walking into. They had enough faith in their little girl to know that she could make a goal of it. I think that as Ruby got older, around the age of ten, situations got harder and life got more tough for her as she understood more. Overall, they were both very brave but I think initially her parents were the braver ones because they knew just how ugly or difficult it could be."
In conclusion, Phillips and Paskoff both agree that Bridges is brave and can be considered a leader and maker of history, but they both think that Bridges parents deserve credit for sending ruby to William Frantz, an act that took courage and bravery, therefore contributing to her leadership during the civil rights movement.