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Guest Lecture by Ruby Bridges

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It is an amazing experience to hear from a Civil Rights icon and American hero, which is why hundreds of students and patrons lined outside the BYU Museum of Art on Thursday, November 19, for the chance to hear from Ruby Bridges. At the young age of six, Ruby Bridges was one of the first African-American students to be integrated into white schools. Her act of bravery at such a young age inspired many, including Norman Rockwell, when he decided to use her as the primary subject of his painting

The Problem We All Live With. Here is the story that she shared with us during her lecture: Ruby was only six at the time of the integration, and did not completely understand the consequences of this change from her regular school to the all-white school. While her father had reservations about the change, Ruby explained that her mother was told that the opportunity would give her children an opportunity to go to college. Ruby said, “And that was all my mother needed to hear.” Ruby recounted her experiences with great detail: “All my parents told me that morning was, ‘Ruby, you are going to a new school today and you