I remember many moons ago, in those childhood days, seeing pictures of Ruby Bridges and other children walking through a sea of hate simply to go to school. I wasn’t that shocked to see adults acting like monsters. Monsters had already made their presence known in my own life by then. But all the same, this was a child going to school. Wasn’t going to school something to strive for? Wasn’t wanting to better your life the ideal?

And the monsters I knew, weren’t monsters for the camera. That shocked me. Adults behaving badly in front of witnesses!

I wondered about the little girl who walked by those possessed adults. How brave she was! How amazing! How could you see her bravery and not be inspired to face your own trials? No one was spitting on me after all. My white skinned, blue-eyed self, what was my excuse?

She made that walk in 1960, several years before I was born. But I did not see her as ancient history. I believed her a super hero.

Look what she went through to get an education! Hermione may have dealt with Draco Malfoy calling her a Mudblood, but Draco’s parents weren’t standing outside Hogwarts spitting and calling her names.

Children face more than we often give them credit for. And you know who else was brave? Ruby’s parents. They put helicopter parents to shame.

Thank you, Ruby, for making this country a better place.