Kamala Harris in the Shadow of Ruby Bridges by Bria Goeller
The image posted above went viral after Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were elected President and Vice President. Kamala Harris is the first woman of African American and South Asian descent to run and win on a Presidential ticket. The image shows her in the shadow of a black child. This is not her own shadow but that of Ruby Bridges who integrated the previously all white William Franz Elementary School in New Orleans in 1960. As a six year old she faced hostile mobs of white parents who hurled insults and even death threats at her on a daily basis as she was escorted into the school by federal marshalls for her protection. Once in the school, the principal who opposed integration put Ruby in a class room by herself with a teacher, Barbara Henry, who was willing to teach a black child.
Ruby Bridges with Federal Marshalls on the Steps of William Franz Elementary School in New Orleans 1960
How did a six year old child find the courage and persistence to endure such hostility and racism? The answer was revealed by Dr. Robert Coles a psychiatrist who observed Ruby’s ordeal and offered to work with her and her family. He later wrote about her in books for both adults and children. In his writing, Dr. Coles consistently lifted up the deep Christian faith of Ruby and her family. He even recorded the prayer that she repeated twice each day before and after school:
Please God, try to forgive these people. Because even if they say those bad things, they don’t know what they’re doing. So You could forgive them, just like You did those folks a long time ago when they said terrible things about You. (From The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles)
Through the work of Dr. Coles, the story of Ruby Bridges received national attention. The famous American artist Norman Rockwell painted a depiction of Ruby’s courage in the face of hostile racism in a work he called “The Trouble We All Live With.” An image of that painting is posted below. President Obama had the original painting in the Oval Office during his administration and a print of that painting has a prominent place in our home.
As a six year old, Ruby Bridges was a hero of faith based non-violent action for racial justice. At this time when our country is in such need of healing and racial justice, I am very grateful for the image by Bria Goeller and even more grateful for the witness of Ruby Bridges. Not only Kamala Harris but all of us committed to healing and justice stand in the long shadow of that little one.