Creative Writing

Ruby Bridges Goes to School

For this project, we were assigned to pick a historical moment and create a character that witnesses this event happen. Enjoy!

It was a confusing time for me. One day I was counting numbers off of my fingers and learning how to write the word 'cat' in my first grade class with Mrs. Barbara Henry, but the next day Mama told me I would not be going to school that day. I tried to ask why not, but Mama just smiled and told me not to worry about it. That evening, when Papa arrived home from work, he and Mama were arguing loudly, and from what I understood, it had to do with me going to school. I still didn't understand why it was such a big deal.
Two more days passed that I was restricted from going to school and I began to miss my friends and all of the fun activities we did. Whenever I asked when I could go back, Mama would sigh and refused to answer. But, the morning of the fourth day, I took it upon myself to let my parents know I missed school and I wanted to go back. My mother quickly gave me a stern look and was about to say something when Papa took a long sighed, set his newspaper on the table, and stood up. He said that I could go today if I wanted. Mama's face suddenly turned bright red and she looked furious. She slammed down the pots she had been cleaning, causing both of us to jump in response. All that was left in the absence of the commotion was silence and you could feel the tension between mother and father as she stared him down with wicked eyes.
Mama told me through clenched teeth to leave the room, while Papa told me to go get dressed for school. I bowed my head obediently, leapt from my chair, and skidded to my room. The decision of whose orders to follow wasn't difficult for me as I decisively slipped on my school clothes. But, the curiosity got the better of me, so I slipped from my room and stood right outside the doorway to the kitchen. I hid in the shadows as much as I could and held my breath. I didn't dare peek, but I could hear Mama and Papa's voices as clear as a crystal. They were arguing again, but this time in frustrated whispers. Mama said that there is no way they were going to send me to that school anymore and that they might as well have me transfer to a new school. Papa argued with equal ferocity that I need to be educated and William Frantz Elementary is a great school. She said it would be social suicide for them. What would her friends and the townsfolk think if she sent her daughter to school with a black girl. Papa suddenly lowered his voice to where I had to strain to hear him. He said that everyone was making this a much bigger deal than it needed to be.
I could hear the shuffle of Papa's feet as he turned to storm away, and so I scampered swiftly back to my room unnoticed. I flopped onto my bed and acted as if I had been playing the whole time. It wasn't long before Papa lightly knocked on my door and shuffled into my room. He commented on how I was already dressed, and then asked if I still wanted to go to school. I nodded slowly and kept my eyes locked on my feet as they were swinging from the side of the bed. Papa said ok and that he would drive me. He gestured for me to follow him, and so I did. As we headed out the front door, he took my hand and got me situated into the car. We started to back out of the driveway and there in the doorway of our house was Mama, scowling at us with her arms crossed defiantly.
As we drove along, I stared out the window, watching as the trees and houses passed. I still didn't have any idea of what was happening. I hated seeing Mama and Papa fight like that. After their argument earlier, I had become uncertain that going to school was a good idea. My stomach was churning with anticipation as we drove up to the parking lot of the school. I suddenly sat up straight as I saw the crowds of people standing around the entrance of the school. Was this why Mama didn't want me to go?
I stepped out of the car and stood gawking at the amount of people and all the commotion they were making. Papa reached down and took my hand, nudging me gently toward the entrance of the school. As we walked, Papa said that we were going to have to push through the crowd of people and that I shouldn't listen to all the things the people were saying. I looked up at him and asked why all the people were even here. He said they were protesting. I asked why they were protesting, but he didn't hear me because we had come close to the overflowing crowd and my words were drowned out in the midst of the shouts of the people.
Papa swiftly scooped me up and held me in his arms. I wrapped my arms instinctively around his neck and watched as we began to push and shove through the crowd. Some people held signs, but I couldn't tell what was written on them, and they were shouting 'keep our schools white' and 'stop race mixing'. Most of the people looked to be adults and parents of kids who attend William Frantz Elementary. I turned to look over Papa's shoulder and saw the mother of one of my friends. I was about to wave at her but she was content on shouting and she looked angry. I had never seen her like this before.
There were also a lot of reporters and cameras around. People were being interviewed and the large cameras were pointed directly in the red faces of the people pushing on the barricades at the front. Also, I had seen a few familiar faces of kids my age hidden in the crowd. They were all with their parents and some cowered behind them, but others were shouting just as ferociously as the adults. The whole scene was overwhelming and I couldn't wrap my mind around what was happening. Those around us began to push relentlessly and we staggered backwards a bit, but Papa kept moving forward until we reached the front of the crowd.
Police men were standing in front of us, holding the barricades firmly so that no one could pass. They looked sternly at Papa as he came closer but he explained that he wanted through. He wanted me to get inside the school. The police man nodded and began to move the barricade in front of us. Papa set me down and we started to walk towards the doors. Almost immediately, the crowd went into an uproar and the shouts grew louder. I wanted to cover my ears, but I knew all of their eyes were locked on me, and I didn't want to look like a baby in front of the crowd. I heard someone scream behind me that I was a disgrace to white people. I also heard curses aimed towards Papa that made me want to cry, but I dared not shed a tear.
At the base of the stairs, Papa let go of my hand, gave me my books he had been holding the whole time, and told me to go along into the school. I looked into his eyes and nodded. I decided that if Papa wasn't scared, than neither should I. I marched up the steps of the school, escorted by a police officer, and was about to enter through the doors when I suddenly heard the crowd go wild again. I turned to take a look.
Before, I had not realized that there was another crowd present; a crowd full of black people. There were only a few signs scattered among them and they were a lot calmer than the crowd of white people. At this point, the crowds were parting and many people were shuffling around and I had to strain to see what the new ruckus was about. As I followed the faces of the people in the crowd, I was directed to a little girl who stepped out from the barricades. It was a little black girl. The crowd of white people went wild and began pressing relentlessly at the barricades until the police had to forcefully push them backwards. I wanted to continue to watch, but my police officer escort was motioning for me to hurry up and enter the school, and so I unlocked my gaze from the scene and entered to school.
It was cooler inside, and significantly quieter. In fact, when I would usually arrive to school, it would be full of children wandering around and making noise, but now there was no one in sight. I was uncertain at first, but I decided to proceed to my classroom anyways. Maybe I was just late and everyone was in class already. I was unconvinced.
Once I finally reached the door to Mrs. Henry's room, I pulled on the doorknob and entered the classroom. Much to my astonishment, only Mrs. Henry and another boy named Robert were there while the rest of the classroom was empty. Mrs. Henry smiled and welcomed me to come and sit down, but I just stood in my spot and asked where everyone was. Mrs. Henry answered that nobody was going to be coming to school for a few days except for us, but in due time, our entire class would return. I didn't know what else to do so I went and sat in my usual seat.
I began to take out my pencil and some paper and situated my books on the desk when the door suddenly squeaked open. My eyes widened as I realized who it was who stepped tentatively into the room. Mrs. Henry said good morning, Ruby, and I realized that this was the girl that the crowd had gone crazy over earlier. She stood in the doorway and scanned the classroom until her eyes landed on me. We stared in astonishment at one another and neither one of us moved. Mrs. Henry told Ruby to come and sit down and to take out her writing utensils so that we could begin the lesson. That was when I realized that Ruby was now in my class. I was going to school with a black girl.
I didn't really know what this meant. I wasn't mad or scared, but I wasn't particularly happy. It just felt weird learning the same thing as someone like her. So, for the rest of the day, Mrs. Henry taught the three of us several new things and caught me up for the days I had been gone. But, all the time I kept my eyes locked on Ruby. She didn't say much, and the few words I heard her utter were used only for answering when she was called upon and nothing else. She wrote quickly and she didn't seem to have a hard time understanding what we were talking about. She was just a normal girl like me.
Before I knew it, the final bell rang and Mrs. Henry said that we were done for the day. I then grabbed my books and started for the door. Ruby was right behind me and while we were walking through the hallway, she passed me briefly, and our eyes locked for a moment. Neither of us smiled, but we both seemed to be curious about the other. Then, she snapped her head forward again and walked out the front doors of the school.
Sunlight poured onto my face and I had to squint to see where I was going. The crowd was still there, with both groups standing in wait. Papa was at the front of the crowd and waved at me to get my attention. I ascended the stairs and started to run for Papa when something caught my attention out of the corner of my eye. I glanced over and I suddenly stopped running. It was Mama. I don't think she had seen me, but she was holding a sign forcefully into the air and was shouting towards the group of black people. I soon noticed that she was yelling directly at Ruby and her parents who were hugging her in greeting. Mama looked mad, unlike anything I had seen her act like before.
Papa was now calling me to come to him, and so I tore my eyes from Mama and trotted over to him. He immediately picked me up into his arms and we continued through the crowd again. He asked me how my day was, and I was about to answer when someone grabbed my sleeve and I twisted to look at them. It was one of my Mama's good friends and she too held a sign with intimidating red words scrawled on it. She leaned in to hiss in my ear and said that I should be careful of the black girl because if I continued to go to school with her, she would eventually come after me and rob our family.
Papa quickly swiveled to the woman and told her between clenched teeth to let go of me and keep her opinions to herself. Mama's friend shut her smiling grin, cocked an eyebrow, and started to chant and raise her sign into the air again. We then pushed onward through the crowd and soon made our way to the car. I was tired and bewildered once I sat down in the plush seat of the car. Papa pulled out of the school parking lot and proceeded to ask me questions about my day. I told him about how nobody was in school and described what Ruby was like and he listened intently. But then I asked why all of this was happening and what it had to do with Ruby.
Papa sighed and told me it was complicated beyond what he could even understand, but he explained that people had it in their heads that some humans are superior to others, for example white and black people. He said it makes no sense and that this belief can lead to people thinking that whites and blacks can't be in the same place at the same time and can't have the same education. He said that is why everyone is upset that Ruby is going to my school. I stayed silent for a while, and then it dawned on me. I asked if Mama was one of those people, and Papa slowly nodded. He said that he loved my Mama, but both of them always had disagreed on certain things and this was the biggest issue. Papa suddenly turned to me and said that I should never listen to the opinions of other people. He told me to believe what I wanted to believe despite what everyone else is doing. So, he asked me again if I wanted to continue to go to school, and I said yes.
The next several days drew along about the same. Papa drove me to school, we pushed through the crowds, and I walked into the school with a police escort. I soon realized that Mama had been going to protest outside of the school for over a week now and that was why she was gone for most of the day before. School was going well and I enjoyed getting back into the fun activities we usually did, just with less people in class. But, as the days went by, gradually, more and more kids from our class came back and joined in our lessons. The hallways became livelier and things were getting back to normal. Even the crowds outside the front doors were starting to grow smaller by each day.
But the most surprising and incredible news of all was my blossoming relationship with Ruby. At first, not many people spoke to her and she stayed relatively quiet throughout the day. I had even seen kids during lunchtime pointing at her and whispering while she sat alone in the corner and ate. But, it seemed like I was the one person she took interest in. I soon figured out that she loved learning and especially writing as much as I did. For a while, neither of us talked, but one day, Mrs. Henry broke us into groups and Ruby and I were paired together. Both of us immediately broke into conversation and I decided I really enjoyed her company.
That day, one of my other friends and her mother drove me home because Mama and Papa were unable to. I waited eagerly at home for the arrival of my parents at six o'clock, and when I finally heard the car engine rumble up our driveway, I raced to go and meet them. Both of them stepped out the doors of the car and Papa asked me how my day was. I was jumping up and down by this time and I said I had made a new friend. Mama and Papa seemed genuinely happy and asked me who it was. I grinned and announced that it was Ruby Bridges.