Ruby Bridges Walk To School Day is November 14

On November 14, 1960, at the tender age of six, Ruby Bridges became one of the first African American students to integrate into an elementary school in the South. Her simple but courageous act of showing up for school each day played an important part in the civil rights movement.

In May 2018, a group of fifth graders from Martin Elementary School in South San Francisco learned about Ruby and asked their school board to pass a resolution making November 14 Ruby Bridges Day. The San Mateo County Office of Education Safe Routes to School team met with the students about making it a walk to school day and invited them to present this proposal to the San Mateo County Board of Education.

A resolution was passed endorsing November 14 as Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day in San Mateo County. The Safe Routes to School team invited other schools to join the Martin students in honoring Ruby’s courage by celebrating this walk to school day. Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day has grown exponentially since the first walk was held in 2018. Read more at the San Mateo County Office of Education website.

In January 2021, with the help of Northern California AAA, the Ruby Bridges Foundation joined the movement and began to expand RBWTSD as a national initiative and in September 2021, the California State Senate passed a resolution recognizing November 14th as Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day in the state of California. MPCSD students are invited to participate by walking to school on Tuesday.

Encinal School has partnered with AAA for signage and giveaways, and will hold a walk around the track in the morning to honor Ruby’s historic walk to school. At Laurel Lower Campus, second graders heard the book I Am Ruby Bridges during library time and talked about Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day as a way to honor her.