Bridges, now 69, became the first African American child to desegregate William Frantz Elementary School in 1960 at the age of 6.” on Sunday, Bridges told host Kristen Welker that she initially thought she was “venturing into a Mardi Gras parade” when the U.S. Marshals escorted her into the newly desegregated school.
“My parents never explained to me what I was about to venture into. The only thing they said is, ‘Ruby, you’re going to go to a new school today, and you better behave.’ And living in New Orleans and being accustomed to Mardi Gras, I mean, you know, we see that during Mardi Gras. Huge crowds screaming and yelling,” Bridges recalled.“So I often say what protected me was the innocence of a child. I thought that day I was venturing into a Mardi Gras parade,” she continued. “So I wasn’t afraid.
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