Ruby Bridges reacts to image of Harris walking with shadow: ‘So cool’
The woman known for making civil rights history is appreciative of Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris and her accomplishment
At just six years old, Ruby Bridges desegregated William Frantz Elementary School in Louisiana, and not only is she still creating change, but she is also continuously being recognized for her remarkable contributions to the country.
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The mother and activist, 66, recently wrote This Is Your Time, a book that encourages young people to pick up from where she left off. During a recent conversation with People, she also gushed about an image of her and Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris that went viral.
She says her son actually brought the image to her attention.
“He said, ‘Mom, have you seen this?’ I thought, ‘That is so cool,'” she tells People.
The image that has been circulating social media features Harris walking and a six-year-old Bridges as her shadow. She tells the magazine, “it made me feel a sense of pride to be a part of that journey. But I also felt a responsibility to all of those who came before me. Because I’m also standing on the shoulders and in the shadows of people who made huge sacrifices for all of us.”
Bridges unintentionally set the world on fire in 1960 when she followed a court desegregation order allowing Black kids to enter all white schools. As a child, Bridges had no idea she was making history.
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“In my tiny mind I thought this was just something that happened on my street and in my community,” she said. “I didn’t realize that it was a part of a much broader movement.”
In her new book she encourages young people “to pick up the torch,” and continue to work strive for change and combat racism in the country.
“We all have a part in making this country that we call the United States live up to its name.”
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