'It changed everybody's lives': Eugene-area students celebrate Bridges Walk to School Day

Across Eugene and Springfield, hundreds of students participated in Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day to celebrate Bridges, who at 6 attended an all-white school as a young Black girl in 1960.

Nov. 14 marks the 62nd anniversary of Bridges' own walk to her elementary school, more than a decade after the Brown v. Board of Education U.S. Supreme Court decision, which ruled that separating students in schools based on race was unconstitutional. Many southern states still maintained segregated schools.

Students across Springfield Public Schools, Bethel School District and Eugene School District 4J all held organized walks. The first Ruby Bridges Walk was held in California in 2018.

"I think that's something that really inspires me about her is that she was just so young," said Jazmin Berry, a sophomore at North Eugene High School and co-vice president of its Black Student Union. "I think that schools wouldn't be as diverse as they are now. I think that she held a very big importance."

About 80 students and staff from North Eugene High gathered early in the morning, bringing signs and wearing purple, the color that represents Bridges. The students began the morning at DaySpring Fellowship on River Road and Howard Avenue. They walked the sidewalk along River Road toward the school, turning on Silver Lane. Cars and trucks honked in support of seeing the students' signs and hearing their chants like "No justice, no peace."

The North Eugene BSU helped organize the event, introducing the walk with an explanation of who Bridges was and why she was important.

Leadership of the BSU took turns speaking about Bridges. Berry said she had stayed up late Sunday night practicing her speech.

"Despite the racial slurs, screaming crowds and only one teacher to help her learn, (Bridges) didn't lose hope," Berry said in her speech to the crowd of students. Berry spoke about the backlash and racism Bridges' family experienced in retaliation for her enrolling in a previously white-only school.

"Eventually, other students of color started to enroll into William Frantz Elementary School, and Ruby went on to graduate from a desegregated high school. Ruby made it possible for so many people of color to get the education that they wanted," Berry said.

Bridges continues to be an activist today fighting for Black rights. In 1999, she created the Ruby Bridges Foundation, with the goal of giving children equal opportunity to succeed.

Ann Christianson, a regional equity manager in Eugene School District 4J, helped organize the event at DaySpring Fellowship. She was impressed by the turnout and grateful to the church for hosting the start of the walk.

"I am so proud of North. It's mostly students and teachers; our staff is always supportive," Christianson said. "Next year, we hope it's bigger and better, but we're happy with today."

Tyree Osirus, a senior at North Eugene and co-president of BSU, said he believes he wouldn't be attending school at North Eugene or playing sports today without Bridges' bravery.

"We wouldn't be here in the place that we are right now, and I wouldn't have all the friends that I have or go to the school that I go to," Osirus said. "It changed everybody's lives."

North Eugene's BSU is also connected with No Place For Hate, a national movement that denounces bias, prejudice and racism in schools.

More education news: Eugene school board member Laural O'Rourke files complaint, citing racism in 4J district

The BSU is not exclusive to Black students; students of any race can join as allies.

Raia Solomon-Burt, a sophomore at North Eugene who manages social media for BSU, said the BSU has been invaluable to her. She said it's a safe space for her and her peers to share their experiences as Black people.

"The importance of just having friends that have been through the same experiences as you to just come together, and also try to stop the bad experiences, and just kind of have people to lean on and have people who you can trust and people who you love," Solomon-Burt said. "If you go through a bad day, if someone's been racist, I can talk to my BSU leaders, because they're just like my family."

Solomon-Burt said she's grateful to the community members, students and teachers that came out for the walk on Monday morning.

"We have so much amazing, beautiful diversity in our schools today, and we thank Ruby Bridges for that," Solomon-Burt said.

Miranda Cyr reports on education for The Register-Guard. You can contact her at mcyr@registerguard.com or find her on Twitter @mirandabcyr.

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Eugene-area students participate in Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day