Senior Class Graduation Products Blog

William T. Frantz Elementary, Ruby Bridges, and the Desegregation of Schools

William T. Frantz Elementary, Ruby Bridges, and the Desegregation of Schools

Melissa Woelflein
November 14th, 1960 at a time when racial tensions were arguably at an all-time-high, 6-year-old Ruby Bridges bravely walked up the steps of William T. Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans, LA. At that moment, Ruby became the first Black student to desegregate the all-white school.

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William T. Frantz Elementary, Ruby Bridges, and the Desegregation of Schools

The Education of Mrs. Coretta Scott King

Melissa W.
We’d be remiss if we celebrated the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. without acknowledging the backbone of his activism, his wife, Coretta Scott King. Afterall, she spearheaded the campaign to make his birthday a national holiday. While we know her as a lifelong human rights activist and champion of The Civil Rights Movement, she was first a decorated student before becoming a pivotal voice in social justice advocacy.

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William T. Frantz Elementary, Ruby Bridges, and the Desegregation of Schools

Student Before Activist: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Melissa W.
Before The March on Washington where he delivered his infamous “I Have a Dream” speech, Dr. King was like so many of us: a student.

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William T. Frantz Elementary, Ruby Bridges, and the Desegregation of Schools

Student Activism and the First Amendment on College Campuses

Melissa W.
College campuses have long been synonymous with activism and protests -- from seemingly minor disputes over tuition cost hikes to fighting for larger issues like civil rights, students use their First Amendment rights to lobby for change and bring about a more fair, represented, and safer campus community.

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