Sixty three years later school board member and former Edmunds teacher Dwana Bradley read “The Story of Ruby Bridges” in the Edmunds library to different grade levels before students marched around the school chanting their support for Ruby Bridges on Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day.
Thank you so much to Edmunds Elementary of Des Moines for participating, school board member Dwana Bradley for reading, and Megan Kruse for organizing this event to promote walking to school and the historical event of Ruby Bridges integrating schools.
The Ruby Bridges walk to school day initiative started with a a group of students from Martin Elementary in South San Francisco. Nearly 60 years later, as they were hearing Ruby’s story for the first time, and learning about her courage and bravery, they thought there should be a day to commemorate the movement she started. These students took their idea to the State Legislature and today the Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day was created. It is now celebrated across the country with schools participating from multiple states, now including Iowa!
Check out more photos of the big day at Edmunds Elementary here.
Do you or your school want to participate in Ruby Bridges walk to school day next year? Contact us at matt@iowabike.org so we can plan something special to celebrate Ruby Bridges and promote active transportation to school.