March 8, 2024

An Evening with Ruby Bridges

By: The Graham Team

We were honored to host an evening with civil rights icon Ruby Bridges as part of our Women in Leadership speaker series. Ruby made history in 1960 as the first Black child to integrate the all-white William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans.

Ms. Bridges answered thought-provoking questions from Graham’s Beacon, SLAM youth, and students from the Hastings-on-Hudson Martin Luther King, Jr. High School. She shared memories from her time in school and explaining why she continues using her platform to speak out against racism today: “That six-year-old is still inside me, and that six-year-old will not let me rest.” Ruby also provided signed copies of her powerful book, This is Your Time.

Thank you to Jennifer Jones Austin, CEO of the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies, for opening the conversation and to AllianceBernstein for hosting this unforgettable evening!