Ruby Bridges to speak at UChicago’s 2025 MLK commemoration

Ruby Bridges was just six years old when she became the first Black student to integrate an all-white New Orleans’ public school alone in 1960. Flanked by U.S. marshals, the world watched as she walked into William Frantz Elementary School past an angry mob—and into history.

The civil rights icon will discuss her experiences an activist, author and speaker in a fireside chat on Jan. 28 at UChicago’s 35th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration Celebration.

The event will begin at 6 p.m. at Rockefeller Memorial Chapel. The evening’s program will also feature remarks from President Paul Alivisatos and performances by Uniting Voices Chicago. It is free and open to the public.

The 35th annual MLK commemoration continues a rich tradition at UChicago, which annually invites speakers who have followed in King’s footsteps to address the campus and local communities. Past speakers have included former Martin Luther King III, Attorney General Eric Holder Jr., Cheryl Brown Henderson, Isabel Wilkerson, the Rev. Jesse Jackson and President Barack Obama. Dr. King himself spoke at Rockefeller Chapel twice, in 1956 and 1959.

“It is an honor to welcome Ruby Bridges to campus as the featured speaker for this year’s program,” said Vice Provost Waldo E. Johnson, Jr. “Her lifelong pursuit of ensuring equal access to educational opportunity began before she recognized the lasting impact of her actions, and her story continues to inspire each new generation.”

Bridges was born in 1954, the same year as the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision, which ordered the integration of public schools. By 1960, resistance to the ruling in New Orleans forced a federal judge to order schools to integrate. On Nov. 14, 1960, Bridges became the first and only Black student to attend William Frantz Elementary School. White parents removed their children in protest; teachers refused to teach at the school. For the entire year, Bridges was the only student in her class. Despite death threats and constant harassment, she never missed a day.

Her historic walk, and the bravery of the Bridges family, galvanized the desegregation of public education in the U.S. and was immortalized in one Norman Rockwell’s most famous paintings The Problem We All Live With. Since becoming a household name, Bridges’ life story has appeared in countless books, television shows and on film.

Bridges has since established the Ruby Bridges Foundation to promote tolerance and change through education. Each year on Nov. 14, the foundation leads Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day, an annual day of dialog to inspire students to take part in their own forms of activism.

Bridges is also the author of several books for young readers including Through My Eyes (1999), This Is Your Time (2020), I Am Ruby Bridges (2022). In 2024, she released Dear Ruby, Hear Our Hearts, a compilation of responses to letters from concerned young students across the country about issues ranging from bullying to climate change to racism.

“These pages truly speak to the power of children!” Bridges said of the book.

Bridges is the recipient of numerous awards, including the NAACP Martin Luther King Award, the Presidential Citizens Medal, and honorary doctorate degrees from Connecticut College, College of New Rochelle, Columbia University Teachers College and Tulane University. In March 2024, she was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame.

Guests are encouraged to register for tickets. Learn more at UChicago’s MLK Commemoration Celebration website.

Other events on campus, South Side:

Community day of service: In honor of Dr. King, the University Community Service Center is inviting the UChicago and local communities to participate in its annual day of service. The event, which will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Jan. 20, will focus on beautification and outreach projects at local schools and other sites in the community. Learn more and sign up at the UCSC website.
Daylong reading of MLK’s texts: On Jan. 21, the Divinity School and the Martin Marty Center are inviting members of the UChicago community to participate in a daylong reading of some of Dr. King’s most significant and illuminating texts—from his well-known speeches to rarely cited essays. Guests are welcome to attend as a reader or listener, beginning at 9 a.m.; sign up here to participate as a reader.