West Valley City students walk in honor of the famous civil rights pioneer

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah – Students at Hillsdale Elementary School in West Valley City marked a moment in the nation’s civil rights history Thursday by participating in the Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day.

Bridges, who was six years old at the time, was the first black student to walk into a previously all-white school in New Orleans on November 14, 1960, as segregation began to end in that region of the country. Deputy U.S. Marshals were not greeted warmly at the time and escorted Bridges to school that year for her safety.

While students are now learning about what happened that day, Thursday’s walk was about inspiring them for the future.

“We just want them to understand that this is a great opportunity to (learn) that everyone is important,” explained sixth-grade teacher Lisa Von Gunten. “We just want them to know that they can succeed in anything they put their minds to.”

Tiana Angilau wanted to make sure her two children, 5-year-old Mable and 7-year-old Derek, were among the students walking in Ruby’s honor.

“It’s important, you know, as people of color, it’s like without her we wouldn’t have this opportunity — to be able to go to public schools,” Angilau said.

The fact that Bridges became a civil rights activist as an adult is even more inspiring to the students.

“The kids… I showed the video of Ruby Bridges, and they were like, is she still alive? And they were so excited to know that she’s still alive and that we’re still celebrating her,” Von Gunten added to.

Angilau is grateful that her children are beginning to understand what Bridges faced as a child when she became the symbol of the public school desegregation movement.

“I want them to know and understand that because of certain people like Ruby Bridges, they can live a free life,” she said, “and be around all these amazing kids and amazing teachers.”