There are more ways than ever to listen to History Daily ad free.

Listen with Wundry Plus in the Wundry app.

As a member of Noiser Plus at Noiser.com or in Apple Podcasts,

or you can get all of History Daily plus other fantastic history podcasts at into History.com. It's the morning of November 14th, 1960 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Six-year-old Ruby Bridges sits on the backseat of a car as it drives from her home to a new school where Ruby is starting today.

But the driver of the car isn't Ruby's mother or father.

It's a National Guardsman, one who's been tasked with making sure Ruby gets to school safely.

Six years ago, the United States Supreme Court ruled that educating black children like Ruby in separate schools from white children was unconstitutional.

But southern states have been slow to respond to the verdict.

Today Ruby is the first black child to attend the previously all white William France

elementary and as the car carrying her approaches the school's entrance

Ruby can see a crowd has gathered at the gates. A tomato strikes the windshield startling Ruby as the car

comes to a halt, but Ruby is more puzzled than concerned. Her parents have

shielded her from the controversy that their choice of school has

created Ruby has no idea that enrolling at William France has caused such

anger. The car door opens and Ruby steps out carrying a small satchel containing her lunch and a few pencils.

She's surrounded by four Burley U.S. Marshals who tower over her.

Ruby hears the white crowd shouting degrading names and racial slurs.

She squints as she slowly reads the words on one of their signs.

All I want for Christmas is a clean white school.

One woman even holds a miniature coffin with a black doll inside.

But Ruby doesn't falter as the marshals escort her past the angry protesters.

...