Ruby Bridges Talks Life, Losses and Hope in Atlanta

Civil Rights Pioneer Ruby Bridges gave a powerful message. 

At the tender age of 6, Ruby Bridges was plucked from her segregated life and thrust into a whirlwind of racial tension. In 1960 she became the first Black student to attend all white William Frantz Elementary school in New Orleans in 1960.

Her story is more complex than the image of a brave first grader being escorted to by Federal Marshal's depicted in the famous Norman Rockwell painting titled, The Problem We All Live With.

The Problem We All Live With, Norman Rockwell

#BlackLivesMatter
The Civil Rights Pioneer spoke on a panel at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.

When asked about her thoughts on Black Lives Matter the response is very succinct:

"Black Lives Matter; my son was a black man and he matter to me..."

One of Bridges two sons was murdered on the streets of New Orleans in 2005. The New Orleans native by way of Tennessee spoke quietly of how a person that looked just like her son stood over him and shot him 11 times.

"Black lives have to matter to us first; before before we can force someone else to care."

In this conversation with Bridges she shared many storms of life. Living through the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, the violent death of her son, the loss of her father and coming to grips with the loss through faith."Storms are difficult but we have to go through them."

She discussed a time when she was awakened from her sleep thinking that she was having a heart attack. After going in to the hospital and undergoing a battery of tests to determine the cause of her symptoms

During this visit she encountered the emergency room nurse who cared for her son the night he died. By learning the details of her sons last hours she was gained peace of mind.

Her Message
Bridges looked like any other woman of color as she sat in the auditorium. Dressed in flats, a simple black dress with a delicate peach pashmina draped around her strong shoulders.

Bridges explained to an attentive audience that the real battle is good versus evil; this is spiritual. Evil doesn't care what you look like; evil only needs an opportunity to get inside.

Her calm demeanor, raw emotion and raspy voice drew the audience in closer. We could have all been sitting in my living room listening to a community elder speak of the state of the world we live in.

Afterwards, Bridges met with visitors and signed copies of her award winning children's book, Through my eyes.

Audra Radcliffe is a freelance writer and blogger. Her business 1stWrite Media specializes in content management, brand identity and social media marketing. Connect with Audra on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter.