Racism is a Grown-Up Disease

Elementary and middle school students from South San Francisco Unified School District (SSFUSD) recently participated in a "protest in place" with Civil Rights icon Ruby Bridges to draw attention to the tragic death of George Floyd, a black man who died on May 25, 2020, after Minneapolis Policeman Derek Chauvin pinned him to the ground with a knee on the neck for almost nine minutes. 

Floyd’s death sparked a wave of protests across the nation and around the world in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. 

It also prompted young activists at Martin Elementary and Parkway Heights Middle School, who had successfully lobbied SSFUSD, the San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE), and the City of South San Francisco to designate November 14 as Ruby Bridges Day, to speak out. 

The students created signs to express how they felt; then convened a video conference with Bridges, where they listened to her perspective on events. 

“Racism is a grown-up disease,” said Sarah White, an intermediary of Bridges. “This message is as relevant today as it was when Ruby first walked up the steps of William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans in 1960. We need to support our children for the promise of a better future.” 

Visit rubybridges.com to learn more.