Porque aunque ellos dicen esas cosas malas,No saben lo que hacen.
Entonces, puedes perdonar ellos,
Al igual que perdonaste la gente en el pasado lejano,
Cuando ellos dijeron cosas horribles sobre tú."
The above words were my rough translation into Spanish of the prayer spoken by Ruby Bridges in the book, "The Story of Ruby Bridges", written by child psychiatrist and children's author Robert Coles and illustrated by George Ford. This wasn't a story we read during library time, since we are busy with standardized testing these past few weeks, but it was a story I read to my afterschool Loop class of 1st and 2nd graders this week. Because some of my Loop students are not proficient in English, I had to get some good practice (and unfortunately probably making a few mistakes!) trying to translate the gist of the story into Spanish for them. I have liked this book for several years, and I often read it to kids during Black History Month. The story is told in a way that makes the harsh realities of history understandable and palatable to young children. In a setting of injustice and hatred, the first grader Ruby stands tall as a symbol of hope and courage. You don't need to be 'black', 'white', 'brown', or purple with pink polka dots to appreciate this story and its lesson.
In parting, I'd like to share a video I watched with my Loop kids yesterday. It's a video of Ruby Bridges from 2010, being interviewed by a young student. It's good to show children that "the past" isn't just in the past, and that many of these figures who changed history are not just mythical characters from stories, but real people just like anyone else. I also really appreciate some of the things Ruby still has to say to us all even today.
- Dennis De Boer
Dennis, you do such great work with your kids. You've made me want to read this book again.
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