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On November 14, 1960, the schools of New Orleans, Louisiana got integrated. On that day, for the first time since Columbus landed on North American soil, a human being of African descent, went to a previously all-white school in the Deep South in the United States. A little black girl.

Her Daddy didn't want to let her go. He'd been raised in the South and knew to what depths of evil good ol' white "Christian" boys and girls were all too happy to go against people of a different color.

The little girl's mother, as black women tend to do, put her foot down. "Hell nawwww!" She wanted not just for her daughter to get a better education, but all American children.

An artist commemorated the event with a painting he called The Problem We All Live With. Cool work of art. Take some time.

Ruby Bridges thought she was at Mardi Gras. "There was a large crowd of people, they were throwing stuff and hollering... just like at Mardi Gras!"

U.S. Marshal Charles Burks spoke of the American champion he had the privilege of escorting: "She showed a lot of courage. She never cried. She never whimpered. She just marched along like a little soldier, and we're all very proud of her."

Indeed.

As soon as Bridges got into the school that day, all those nice Christian white folks stormed in and snatched their children out. All the good Christian teachers left, too. Except one. Barbara Henry. For the next year, Mrs. Henry taught Ruby alone -- a classroom of one teacher and one child.

Every morning as little Ruby walked to school, one "Christian" woman threatened to poison the little girl. Hearing the threat, the Marshals only let Ruby eat food that she brought from home.

Another "Christian" woman carried on a single woman protest w/ a black baby doll in a wooden coffin. It scared little Ruby "more than the nasty things people screamed at me."

Her mother told her to call on God for help. "Remember, if you get afraid, say your prayers. You can pray to God anytime, anywhere. He will always hear you."

Father Bridges lost his job. Ruby's sharecropping grandparents in Mississippi got pushed off their land. But others in the community, black and white, stepped up and supported the family in a variety of ways.

Some whites kept their children in the school Ruby went to despite the protests. A neighbor gave Mr. Bridges a job. Locals babysat, guarded the house, walked behind the federal marshals' car on the trips to school.

In the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave, Life went on for this decent family and innocent little girl. Somehow this girl with a heart of iron... a family that kept believing in America's promise, overcame the ugliest part of America.
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On January 5, 2009, a 7 year old black girl no different than Ruby of the 60s was escorted by Secret Service Agents to her elementary school in Washington D.C.

Her name is Sasha, and her daddy is the President of the United States of America.