Barbara Henry facts for kids

Barbara Henry (born May 1, 1932) is a retired American teacher. She is famous for teaching Ruby Bridges. Ruby was the first African-American child to attend the all-white William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans.

Barbara Henry's Story

Barbara Henry went to Girls' Latin School in Boston. There, she learned to value what people had in common. She believed this was true even if they came from different backgrounds or had different skin colors.

Before New Orleans, she taught in schools for military families overseas. These schools already had students of different races learning together. Mrs. Henry and her husband had been in New Orleans for only two months. Then, the school leader called her. He offered her a teaching job. Mrs. Henry asked if the school would be integrated, meaning students of all races would attend. The superintendent asked if that would matter to her. She said no, it would not.

A Brave Teacher

The school year began in 1960. Mrs. Henry and Ruby Bridges showed incredible courage. They refused to be scared by the difficult situation. This made them important figures in the American civil rights movement.

When Ruby first entered the school, many white parents took their own children out. Almost all the white teachers also refused to teach. They did not want to teach while a Black child was enrolled. Only Barbara Henry was willing to teach Ruby. For over a year, Mrs. Henry taught Ruby by herself. It was as if she were teaching a whole class of students.

Ruby's First Day

On that very first day, Ruby and the adults with her stayed in the principal's office. The school was very chaotic. They could not move to the classroom until the second day.

Ruby Bridges was a little nervous when she first met Mrs. Henry. Ruby later remembered that there were angry crowds outside the school every day. But Mrs. Henry greeted her every morning. She was a white woman who also risked her safety. Ruby said, "I had never seen a white teacher before." She added that Mrs. Henry was the nicest teacher she ever had. Mrs. Henry tried hard to keep Ruby's mind off what was happening outside. But Ruby could not forget that there were no other kids in her class.

The first day that schools in New Orleans were ordered to integrate was November 14, 1960. This important day was remembered in a famous painting. The artist Norman Rockwell painted it. The painting is called The Problem We All Live With.