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Thank You, Ruby Bridges
by Clare S.

Dear Ruby Bridges,

My name is Clare. I attend Ontario Middle School. I’m 11 years of age. I feel racism is wrong and cruel. Also I feel that racism is one of the worst things to happen in history. We are all Americans no matter what color we are.

The people who are racist don’t care about African Americans, but I do. They probably don’t know that without Scott Joplin’s ragtime music, there might not be Hip-Hop. Scott Joplin was an African American, and so was Garret A. Morgan. Garret A. Morgan invented the stoplight. LeBron James probably wouldn’t be playing for the Cavaliers if Jackie Robinson hadn’t broken the color barrier in sports in 1947. Also you didn’t care what people thought, you just wanted to learn. You broke the barrier in school.

I want to thank you for that because if you, Martin Luther King Jr., and so many others didn’t do something, I wouldn’t have met some of the kindest people I know. I wouldn’t have met Bridgette Givand, a nice person and a very good athlete. I wouldn’t have met Mitchell Phelps who is a good friend and a very smart person. Also I wouldn’t know Wanda Sprinkle. She goes to my church, and she has always been there for me. It doesn’t matter what skin color you are, people choose to act the way they act.

Racism is not fair. If people discriminated against African Americans just because of their color, then I’m thrilled to live now where we usually don’t discriminate. Why did people discriminate against African Americans and not different cultures? This is why I think racism is really unintelligent, because you could do it to anybody.

I think racism is unfair, cruel, and wrong. Color doesn’t matter; it’s what’s in the heart that counts. We are all Americans. Getting through discrimination is one of the best things to happen in history. I’m thankful we stopped discrimination and almost all racism.

Sincerely,

Clare S., 6th grade, Ohio

"Thank You, Ruby Bridges"

Click back to read more letters from this special report.

 

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