Ruby Bridges shares powerful video on Selena Gomez’s Instagram
By tsell on June 15, 2020
Selena has been opening up her Instagram to allow Black voices to share their stories
By Trent Sell
Over the past weeks, Selena Gomez has shared her Instagram audience with Black activists to help amplify their voices. This past Sunday, June 14th, Selena’s Instagram was lent out to Ruby Bridges who shared a powerful never before seen video.
Ruby Bridges
In addition to her civil rights activism, Ruby Bridges has an incredible story to share. She is most recognized for her courage as a 6-year-old, being the first black student to desegregate an elementary school in the south. Like so many other African American children and families, she faced cruel treatment and unfairness during the school desegregation crisis of the ’60s.
Ruby first introduced herself and thanked Selena for the platform to reach so many viewers. She proceeded to explain that she would be sharing a never before seen video of the day she entered first grade at the all-white William Frantz Elementary School in 1960.
“It will help you to understand why I think we Black and brown sisters and brothers need to stand united in this fight to save Black and brown lives,” Bridges said before playing the clip. “I want you to remember that it is all of our shared history. This is your legacy, too.”
The never before seen footage is from the 1961 documentary The Children Were Watching. The video shows Ruby being escorted into the school by US Marshals as white protestors shout racial slurs. The video also features young Daisy Gabriel who was also trying to enter the school that day, with the courageous efforts of her mother. Ruby stated in the post referring to Daisy’s mother, “It is such a heart wrenching video to see the sacrifices she had to make trying to bring her daughter to school that day as well.”
Check out Selena’s Instagram for more powerful messages from other activists like Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza, author Ibram X. Kendi, journalist Jelani Cobb, and more.
