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Ruby Nell Bridges Hall
(born September 8, 1954) is an American civil rights activist. She was the
first African American
child to attend the formerly
whites
-only
William Frantz Elementary School
in
Louisiana
during the
New Orleans school desegregation crisis
on November 14, 1960. Bridges attended a segregated
kindergarten
in 1959. In early 1960, she was one of six black children in New Orleans to pass the test that determined whether they could go to the all-white William Frantz Elementary School. Two of the six decided to stay at their old school, Bridges went to Frantz by herself, and
three children
(Gail Etienne,
Leona Tate
and Tessie Prevost) were transferred to the all-white
McDonogh No. 19 Elementary School
. All four 6-year-old girls were escorted to and from school by
federal marshals
due to crowds of angry protestors opposing school integration.
Photograph credit:
United States Department of Justice
; restored by
Adam Cuerden
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