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It might be easy to assume that stories of school integration are ancient history. But this week, as Ruby Bridges — who made history by integrating her elementary school in New Orleans — turns 70 years old, we must reckon with the fact that the trauma that our heroes endured during the Civil Rights Movement occurred just decades ago. In the years that followed the iconic image of federal marshals escorting Ruby Bridges to kindergarten, many Black Americans would follow in her footsteps. That included the woman who would later become my sister-in-law: Vivian Malone Jones. My brave, brilliant, and barrier-breaking sister-in-law was one of the first two Black students who integrated and enrolled at the University of Alabama.
When Vivian arrived at the University of Alabama, she was met by Governor George Wallace who was determined not to allow her to attend her state’s university — simply because she was Black. It was only after President Kennedy called out the National Guard to escort her onto campus that she was permitted to begin her enrollment process.
It’s hard to imagine what Vivian endured as she dreamt of and pursued her college education — a few months after she arrived on campus, racists set off bombs mere blocks from her dorm.
But Vivian never wavered. She would go on to make further history and become the first Black student to graduate from the university.
Today — and always — I’m thinking a lot about Ruby Bridges, Vivian Malone Jones, and the sheer courage and tenacity it must have taken for them to persist amidst so much hatred. Their “firsts” paved the way for me, and for so many others. Thank you to these trailblazers for lighting the path for all of us. Eric H. Holder, Jr.,
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