Review:
This Disney film is a depiction of the true story of Ruby Nell Bridges, a 6-year-old African-American girl who was a trailblazer of integration in the South. In 1960, Ruby was chosen to attend first grade at William Frantz Public School, an all-White school in New Orleans, Louisiana. This movie provides a glimpse of the ugliness of racism from a child’s perspective, tempered with her response of courage, forgiveness and hope grounded in her faith. Ruby was encouraged on her journey by many individuals.Most notably, her parents (Abon and Lucille Bridges), her first-grade teacher from Boston, Massachusetts (Mrs. Barbara Henry), and her child psychiatrist (Dr. Robert Coles) all had an important influence.

Ruby Bridges is recommended for a multicultural counseling class as a way to illustrate race relations in the United States during the initial phases of school integration, while also illuminating some of the effects of slavery, racism and segregation on the African-American community. It also provides examples of within-group differences amongst African-Americans, coupled with the role of spirituality for African-Americans as a source of resiliency.

This movie may be a springboard for discussion in terms of identifying beneficial as well as detrimental approaches to providing counsel and education cross-culturally to the African-American community. It may be used as an instrument to dispel over-generalizations made by European Americans regarding racial concerns. It also may be a beneficial tool for self-exploration, aiding individuals in gaining awareness of their own prejudices and their negative implications for daily living.