Viewing the YouTube post below of this poised middle-aged African-American woman calmly delivering a TED Talk in front of a Norman Rockwell painting of herself, supplied me a Modern day heroine to hold up before my children and a commitment to add ‘meet Ruby Bridges in person’ to my bucket list. If the painting titled ‘The Problem We All Live With’ does not bring you to tears, then the photograph of the real event should and should also motivate us all to join her mission to make sure our children learn to judge real character by learning real history in the best environment in the times we all live in.
The sweet metaphor suggested by Ruby’s name is not lost on me- Though I can only guess at where she stands with regard to profession of faith, I do still take the liberty of believing that this woman, as a little girl, was held together by the Divine Grace of the Ruby-Red Cross of Our Christ. And though her parents’ marriage did not survive this dreadful stormy trial, this fiery gem of a lady is a trophy of God’s grace to our nation.
*Interestingly, a 2010 NPR interview of Ruby repeatedly referred to the painting as ‘The Times We All Live In’. Not sure why. Also, Barak Obama, had it displayed in the White House after meeting her, during his presidency. I wonder which title he associated it with and how that influenced his handling of racial matters during his administration. Food for thought for Bridge-builders.
Ruby Bridges 2010 NPR Interview
Towards a purposeful observance of Black History Month, Denise
Creative Non-Fiction Essays to Enjoy with a Cup of Tea 