On the second day of school, from what I've read, the protesting seems to intensify even more. They were chanting and screaming and shouting all sorts of threats. Protesters carried a small box that was actually a baby's coffin. And so whenever I would see the box, that's what would really frighten me more than anything. The federal marshals took those threats very seriously.
Civil rights icon Ruby Bridges is our guest today. She shares what it was like to be the first African-American student to attend an all-white elementary school in Louisiana in 1960. Ruby was just six years old at the time, and it would be years before she fully appreciated her role in advancing civil rights in America.
You can follow the show on Instagram @DrMayaShankar.
If you’d like to keep up with the most recent news from this and other Pushkin podcasts be sure to sign up for our email list at Pushkin.fm.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.