As young as six, Ruby was already alert and active to the desegregation crisis happening in New Orleans during her childhood. She was the major instrument towards the desegregation of the all-white elementary school in Louisiana.
Ruby Bridges was born into a family of seven, amidst the Civil Rights Movement. She was the eldest of five children, and so she had to develop mothering instincts as she took care of her younger siblings. Amidst the issues around segregation of schools, Ruby wrote a test that would qualify her to go to an all-white school, alongside several others. She and a few students passed the test, but she was the only one courageous enough to leave her old, segregated school to attend the all-white William Frantz Elementary School. Even though her father was hesitant, her mother convinced him for Ruby to get a better education and to help the integration. Ruby was the only black child in the all-white school. Despite the apparent struggles, she didn’t stop attending. She was escorted, daily, by a federal court martial. Many people opposed her, gathered daily in front of the school to express their displeasure - but in the face of this, Ruby remained courageous. In Charles Burks' words, "She marched on like a little soldier." Attending an all-white school, the troubles continued in the school. Children refused to relate with her, even teachers refused to teach. The troubles also spilled over to her family life, causing her parents to lose their jobs and, eventually, separated them. Little Ruby Bridges' courage was a part of the foundation that eventually led to the desegregation of the United States - and till today, she continues to be a vocal activist against injustice and unfairness.