San Mateo County Recognizes Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day

The County of San Mateo and the San Mateo County Office of Education announced two local rallies, in South San Francisco and East Palo Alto, on November 14 to celebrate Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day. This day honors Ruby Bridges, who in 1960 became the first African American student to integrate an all-white elementary school in the South, marking an important milestone in the Civil Rights Movement. Now recognized nationwide, San Mateo County was the first county to honor this important historical event with a walk to school day.

Ruby Bridges became a symbol of the civil rights movement at age six when she was the youngest of a group of African American students designated to integrate schools in the American South. On November 14, 1960, her first day of school at William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans, Ruby was escorted by four federal marshals and spent the entire day in the principal’s office as irate parents marched into the school to remove their children.

“Ruby Bridges showed incredible courage when she walked through a hostile mob simply to attend school,” said Lisa Gauthier, County Supervisor, District Four. “Today, we not only celebrate this important civil rights milestone, but also recognize the right of every child to safely walk to school for a quality education.”

In 2018, a group of fifth graders from Martin Elementary School in the South San Francisco Unified School District learned about Ruby Bridges and advocated for a Ruby Bridges Day in their district to honor her role in the Civil Rights Movement. The San Mateo County Office of Education's Safe Routes to School program worked with the students, their teacher, and Safe Routes to School programs throughout the Bay Area to transform their idea into Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day.

Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day takes place every year on November 14, or on the following Wednesday of each year when November 14 falls on a weekend. Northern California AAA provides resources and grants to help schools participate in this initiative. The San Mateo County Office of Education's Safe Routes to School program hosts an annual poster and poetry contest and shares student artwork to celebrate Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day. For more information, including a list of participating schools, please visit the Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day website.

“We are proud that what began here in San Mateo County is now a national movement,” said Marco Chavez, Deputy Superintendent of Educational Services at the San Mateo County Office of Education. “Every child, in every state should be able to safely walk to school, and we encourage every district and schools to recognize Ruby's impact by recognizing this day.