In Tiffany Myers homeroom class at Harding Academy, third-grade students drew pictures of and wrote about Ruby Bridges after her recent visit to Harding for the American Studies Institute\u2019s (ASI) Distinguished Lecture Series on Feb. 9. Bridges\u2019 story of bravery as the first black student to attend William Franz Elementary School in New Orleans in 1960 has inspired audiences of all ages, particularly this group of third-graders, according to Myers.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was really interesting to hear her story from her point of view,\u201d third-grader Ford Corder said. Myers said the students learned about Bridges and other Civil Rights leaders in their social studies class, and attending the ASI lecture was originally offered as an extra credit opportunity. \u201cAfter they went, they came back and any of them that went, they could not stop talking about it,\u201d Myers said. \u201cThey were telling all the stories that she told.\u201d<\/p>\n
Third-grade student Ava Ellis attended the lecture and recounted how Bridges had to walk through an angry mob every day before school.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said a prayer for them as she walked through them,\u201d Ellis said. \u201cIt was brave for her because she could\u2019ve not done that and gotten really scared.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was then that Myers decided to create a new assignment specifically about Bridges and her story. She said it was a spur of the moment thing, but she wanted her homeroom class to complete a teacher-directed drawing and writing assignment.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of my students wrote about how it inspired him to be more kind to everyone,\u201d Myers said. \u201c(I like) just seeing their reactions and how they apply it to their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n
Third grade student Hunter Griffin said that she wrote about how Bridges\u2019 story impacted her.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe didn\u2019t care what other people thought of her, and she just wanted to do something good,\u201d Griffin said. \u201cShe was able to walk through that crowd without doing anything mean to anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to Myers, it was important to her for her students to know that Bridges made a difference as a young elementary student.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s someone they can identify with,\u201d Myers said. \u201cThey can identify with Ruby Bridges, and in fact, in their writing they wrote about how she was brave and didn\u2019t yell back when people were yelling things at her. I think it was really identifiable for them. I love watching their growth in their understanding of that and how they can apply it to things happening today in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
Third grade student Ellie Morgan said she found Bridge\u2019s actions to be very brave.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen she got in the school, all the parents went in there and took out all their kids,\u201d Morgan said. \u201cShe thought it wasn\u2019t about black versus white; she thought it was evil versus good.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to Myers, the third-graders have also been learning about Black History Month and its significance.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt blows their minds when we talk about things that happened. They don\u2019t understand at all how that could have happened or how people could think that,\u201d Myers said. \u201cWe talk about that. We talk about how fear makes people do things that aren\u2019t necessarily right. I think it\u2019s really important to see that we can learn from those things, but also that there has been growth in our country. I want them to know that this can go on; it\u2019s not over. And their attitude going forward toward these things can really make a difference for people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Third-grader Shelby Payne said that learning about Black History Month is important for everyone.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe learn about Black History Month so that we don\u2019t think that just because of our skin color that we\u2019re all completely different and have to treat people differently,\u201d Payne said.<\/p>\n
The class\u2019 drawings and letters about Ruby Bridges are on display at Harding Academy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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