Sunday, November 22, 2009

Walking girl to school — and into history

This from the Herald-Leader, Photo by Steve Ueckert:

U.S. MARSHAL FROM KENTUCKY

HONORED FOR ROLE IN

INTEGRATING SOUTH

The Norman Rockwell print titled "The Problem We All Live With" features a small, black girl walking between four very tall men.

The little girl was Ruby Nell Bridges, the first black student to attend a white school in New Orleans, in 1960.

The legs of the man on the far right side walking behind Bridges belong to Jesse Grider, one of four U.S. marshals ordered to escort the kindergartner and her family the five blocks from their home to the William Frantz School.

Lucille Bridges looked at the original Norman Rockwell painting showing her daughter Ruby going to school when it was on display in the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston in 2006. The painting is now at the Detroit Institute of Art. The elder Bridges moved from New Orleans to Houston after Hurricane Katrina.

Originally from Glasgow, Grider was honored on Veterans Day for his service as a U.S. marshal and with a Kentucky National Guard unit during the Korean War. A special ceremony was held at the South Central Kentucky Cultural Center...

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Hello,

I just wanted to clarify that this painting belongs to the Norman Rockwell Museum, not the Detroit Institute of Arts. It was part of a special Norman Rockwell exhibition at the DIA, but, as much as we would like it to be, it is not part of our collection.

Pamela Marcil, PR Director, DIA

Richard Day said...

Pamela: Thanks for the clarification...and the exhibit.