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Disney Inspired Lesson

Ruby Bridges on Disney+

By Kelly HornePublished 2 years ago 4 min read
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Ruby Bridges (1998)

It's February. Black History Month.

I'm in school now myself, so things that would be on the edge of my consciousness usually, are a little more front and center currently. I'm not only thinking about all the emails received in my school email telling of upcoming events, but also things like book bans (because this affects my future career) have me paying better attention to the going ons within my own community.

Our Parks and Rec have been posting weekly events or just informational tidbits for Black History Month. Because of things I have looked at on my phone, etc, for school, I have a plethora of informational ads that show up on my Facebook.

Just for an example, recent ad showed that Albert Einstein was a mover and shaker in denouncing racism in America. I had thought he was way older, and did not realize he lived during the 1900s. I never really had a reason to look him up; just instead made assumptions about the time period in which he lived.

Yesterday being Presidents Day, I decided to do a little at home lesson with my son. He's 9 and a sponge for information currently. I figured an easy way to incorporate a little knowledge without us making too much effort would be to find a School House Rock to watch on Disney+.

Instead I came across Ruby Bridges: a movie from 1998 that is rated PG and I figured would be a cute watch with my son. It is Black History Month after all.

I started by asking my son, being he's my little straight A student and in 4th grade, if he knew about segregation, or had ever heard about Ruby Bridges.

I had heard my own dad talk about which buildings were for what school, locally, because he remembers well being a student in school when the process was going on, which I'm not sure if anyone realizes but he was born in 1952. The court ruling was in 1954. He wouldn't have been in school until 1956 at the earliest, which was two full years after Brown Vs. Board of Education, but I digress.

My son, a 4th grader, who can sing to me about how a star is formed, and knows answers to questions on Jeopardy that stump me, and who corrects my reading to him at night when I say a word incorrectly, did not have a clue. He knew nothing of segregation. He had never heard of Ruby Bridges.

I know this is one of those topics that can be sensitive, but we have even broached the Holocaust in our home and my son has heard of that, even though other than fighting a very major war, this event did not touch lives locally as much as segregation. However, I digress once again.

So, we talked about it as best I knew how. I think parents often feel a little overwhelmed talking about topics they do not feel they are experts on. Almost like we are being hypocritical at some point. I think the important thing is to let your child know what you know, and be willing to learn with them about things you had not thought of.

For example, as we are watching, my son's asking me questions like, were the neighborhoods also segregated? Yes. Were the hospitals segregated? Yes. Would you get in trouble if you played with someone who was a different color than you? It's possible.

I think what really brought it home was letting him know he could talk to his own grandparents about how things were when the schools started desegregating. How this movie was not about a time a long time ago, but from a time even his grandparents could remember.

My son could not get over the scenes of grown adults yelling at this little girl. He asked me about the cops that were with her. I told him they were there to keep her safe. He asked me why people were screaming and being ugly. I told him people are often scared of change, and this one affecting their children made them really act up.

So then my child is on his tablet looking her up. Ruby Bridges. Still alive in case anyone did not know. He was mesmerized. She was an instant little hero in his eyes.

All because of an hour and a half long movie, and a little heart to heart talk. Your children do not learn everything they need to know about the world from school. Schools have so much red tape and so many regulations on testing etc, that sometimes the very things you assume they are learning, are either just not getting the time dedicated that is necessary, or even better yet, it does not leave an impression because mom/dad/guardians have not took the time to make it relevant to their lives.

By my son realizing that his own grandparents were witness to this part of history, this made it relevant. I'm sure I did not do it justice, but he at least has had a connection with history, and I'm hopeful that Social Studies lessons etc make a better impression on him in the future. Also, I'm going to try to do a better job of finding those connections, as he learns new things, to help him see that the knowledge he gains in the classroom is relevant to his life. It's not just a bunch of tests and general knowledge to be learned. There's a reason behind many lessons.

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About the Creator

Kelly Horne

Married. Loving mother to my daughter and son. Full time employee of local government office as an Admin Asst. Currently in process of obtaining my Master's Degree in Library Science.

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