Ruby Bridges Page #3

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I Can't Get More Involved

Than I'm Required To.

Maybe You Could

Give Me The Child's Name.

We Have Strict Orders.

I'd Be Breakin' The Law.

Well, If You're So Interested

In The Colored,

You Ought To Go

Talk To Their Organization.

I'm Sorry.

What Organization?

That Colored People's

Organization.

Good Day.

[ Barbara ]

Okay, I'm Gonna Write

A Word On Your Paper.

Christmas!

Very Good.

Now, Listen.

Using The Letters

In Christmas,

I Want You To Write Down

As Many Words As You Can,

Using Only The Letters

In The Word.

Okay?

[ Indistinct Shouting ]

C-H-

R-I-

S-T!

Christ!

Her Dexterity

Is Advanced For This Age.

She Writes Fast And Well.

[ Cielle ]

She Picks Up Everything,

Just Like A Sponge.

C-A-R. Car.

H-I-T. Hit.

S-I-T. Sit.

H-I-M. Him.

S-T-A-R. Star.

Excuse Me.

Can You Tell Me

Where The Lounge Is?

Please?

This Way.

You Know, I Don't Envy You,

Mrs. Henry.

You Must Have

Really Needed A Job.

[ Laughing ]

Did You See That Dress

She Was Wearin'?

There's No Need For

Consolation, Miss Spencer.

I've Taught Children From

Many Different Backgrounds,

And I Enjoy Them All.

This Is A Disgrace.

This Place Is Ruined.

And You're Part Of It.

Well, It's Unfortunate

That She Feels That Way.

Frankly, I Think

It's Pretty Silly

For A Whole School To Empty Out

Because Of One Little Girl.

When Superintendent Redmond

Offered Me This Position,

I Had No Idea

I'd Have One Student.

I-I Told Miss Woodmere

I Couldn't Teach

That Little Negress.

We Have Friends That

Gave Their Resignation

Rather Than Teach Her.

[ Sighs ]

For What We Are About To Receive

May We Truly Be Thankful. Amen.

'Round Here,

We Don't Teach Them,

And Our Kids Don't

Learn With 'Em.

[ Crowd Shouting ]

Black Trash, Don't Come Back!

Black Trash, Don't Come Back!

Black Trash, Don't Come Back!

Black Trash, Don't Come Back!

Black Trash, Don't Come Back!

Black Trash, Don't Come Back!

[ Indistinct Singing ]

Black Trash, Don't Come Back!

This Is Dangerous,

Lucielle.

It's Only Day Two.

It Ain't Too Late

To Back Out Of This.

Why Are You Always

Scared Of Everything, Huh?

Never Wanna Make No Waves.

The Only Way We Gonna

Have Something

Is If We Take It.

I Fought In A War

And I Won A Medal.

You Think I Got That Medal

Bein' Scared?

Hon, You Best Mind

Who You Talkin' To.

I'm Sorry.

Baby,

I've Been To The School,

And I've Seen It. It's Better.

It's Cleaner.

It's Nicer. It's Newer.

And Her Teacher.

Her Teacher's From Up North,

And She's Smart,

And She's Kind.

She's Supposed To

Go Alone Tomorrow.

Now,

She's Just A Little Girl.

How Can We Put Her

Through That?

I'm Sick Of People

Telling Us

Where We Can't Go,

What We Can't Do,

What We Ain't

Supposed To Have.

My Children

Are Gonna Have More.

They Deserve More.

And The Only Way Things Are

Gonna Get Better For Them

Is If We Make 'Em Better.

Honey,

We Can't Be Afraid.

Give Mama Some Sugar.

Give Mama A Kiss.

[ Murmuring ]

Good Night, Baby.

[ Girl ]

Good Night, Mom.

You Know Mama's Gotta

Go Back To Work Tomorrow.

And Daddy's Working.

So You Think You Could

Be A Brave Girl

And Go To School By Yourself

With The Big Men?

Hmm?

Okay.

[ Sighs ]

You Know Jesus

Faced A Mob Too, Baby.

Just Like You.

And You Know What He Did?

He Prayed For Them.

Because The Bible Says,

"Bless Them That

Persecute You.

Bless And Curse Not."

[ Crowd Shouting ]

Two, Four, Six, Eight!

[ Continues, Indistinct ]

Ruby, Remember What I Told You.

Keep Lookin' Straight Ahead.

[ Shouting Continues ]

Two, Four, Six, Eight!

[ Continues, Indistinct ]

[ Woman Spits ]

[ Reporter ]

Sir!

I Hate You! Hear Me?

I'm Gonna Hang You

Till You Choke To Death!

[ Abon's Voice ]

You're Daddy's

Brave Little Girl.

[ Abon's Voice ]

You're Daddy's

Brave Little Girl.

[ Cielle's Voice ]

Remember, God Loves You,

Ruby Nelle.

God Loves You, Baby.

[ Abon's Voice ]

You're Daddy's

Brave Little Girl.

Two, Four, Six, Eight!

We Don't Wanna Integrate!

Two, Four, Six--

[ Woman ]

I'm Gonna Hang You!

I'm Gonna Hang You

Till You Choke To Death!

Go Home!

[ Shouting Continues ]

We Don't Want You Here!

Go Home!

Go Home!

[ Door Slams ]

[ Woman ]

Look. She's Come Back Again.

[ Footsteps Approaching ]

[ Barbara ]

Ruby Nelle.

Don't You Look

So Very Special Today.

Your... Dress Is Lovely,

And Your Bow Matches

So Perfectly.

So, You Catholic Yet?

Uh-Uh.

Them Nuns Are Mean.

They Be Hittin' Me

On My Knuckles And Stuff.

Yeah?

My Teacher's Nice.

Daddy Says Sore Knuckles Is

The Price You Have To Pay

For Private School,

And Private School

Means You Better.

You Got Lots Of Kids

In Your Class?

Tsk.

That Ain't Private Then.

My School Is Private.

I'm The Only One There.

My Daddy

Said It's Your Fault

We Got All Them Horses

Up The Street.

And Ain't Nobody

Like 'Em, Neither.

Hey, Daddy!

Look At All Those Doughnuts.

I've Got The Blues

[ Baby Cooing ]

I've Got The Blues

Daddy, You Ain't Hungry?

Somethin' Wrong

With My Cookin' Tonight?

Why You Got So Many Doughnuts

Today, Daddy?

Honey?

Folks Down At The Bakery

Heard What A...

Brave Thing

You Was Doin' And--

And They Wanted To Give You

And Your Sister And Brothers

An Extra Special Treat.

Ain't That Nice

Of Them?

Boss Told Me Today,

"I Can't--

"I Can't Have No Negro

Workin' For Me

What's Got A Child

In A White School."

Been Workin' There

Goin' On Eight Years Now.

Ain't Never Had

One Unhappy Customer.

Not One.

Ain't-- Ain't Nobody Better

At Fixin' Cars Than Me.

I Know, Baby.

I Know, But It'll All

Work Itself Out.

You'll Get Another Job.

[ Chuckles ] My Buddy

Owns The Bake Shop Was

Watchin' Out The Window,

I Guess, When--

When My Boss Tol--

Told Me To Go.

Gave Me All The Doughnuts

He Had.

I Told Him

I Appreciate It, But...

I Didn't Wanna...

Take All He Got.

He--

He Said,

"Abon, Man, Don't

Even Worry About It.

"I Can--

I Can Always

Make More."

[ Sniffling ]

What Can I Make More Of,

Cielle?

Abon, Don't.

Ah!

I Was In The Army.

I Know About Integration.

I Know All About It.

It Don't Work.

It Don't Work!

You Know, They Ain't--

They Ain't Treat Me

Like A Soldier.

I Was A Colored Soldier.

A Nobody!

It Was-- It Was Just Fine

With White Folk

When I Was Willin' To Die

For This Country,

But You Try To Give My Kid,

My, My Beautiful Little

Daughter, What That Kid's Got,

And They're All Up On My Back

Remindin' Me

How It's Their Country!

Abon, Come On. I Know

Everything Seems Wrong.

And You're Probably

Blamin' Me For It,

But, Honey, We're Gonna

Get Through This.

I Believe In You

So Much.

And I Know God's Gonna

Make A Way For Us.

[ Baby Crying ]

I Just Know It.

[ Sighs ]

[ Crying Continues ]

Oh, God.

Oh, God.

My Daddy's

Coming With Me Today.

I'm Sorry, Sir,

That'll Be Too Dangerous.

Why? I'm Her Father.

Ain't Nobody--

I Understand, Sir.

And You're A Man.

But As A Man And Her Father,

I'm Not Sure That You'd

Be Able To Restrain Yourself.

Listen, I--

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