In honor of Ruby Bridges, state senator to join students’ walk to school

State Sen. Josh Becker, D-San Mateo, will walk with students, teachers and staff to Martin Elementary School in South San Francisco on Wednesday to observe California’s first Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day.

Teacher Deborah Carlino’s fifth-grade students learned about Ruby Bridges and her challenges of being the first and only Black student at a whites-only grammar school in Louisiana at the age of 6.

Bridges walked to school each day and faced angry mobs spewing hateful speech and racial epithets.

The fifth-grade students at Martin Elementary worked to recognize Bridges for her courage, and State Sen. Becker introduced Senate Resolution 59 to declare Nov. 14 as Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day in the state. The resolution passed unanimously.

The day will be celebrated on Wednesday, Nov. 17 because Nov. 14 fell on a Sunday this year.

The walk will begin at 8 a.m. Wednesday at Liberty Bank on 500 Linden St. and proceed to Martin Elementary School, 35 School St., South San Francisco.