On November 13 and 14, more than 3,000 students from 22 schools in Passaic, Orange, Teaneck, and Red Bank participated in Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day.

The event promotes walking to school and honors the bravery of six-year-old Ruby Bridges, the first African American student to desegregate a Louisiana public school in 1960. Despite harassment by protesters and racist taunts from residents as she entered the school to start first grade, Ruby didn’t miss a day of school and was the first in her family to graduate from high school.

November 14th was officially recognized in New Jersey as Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day in 2024 through Assembly Joint Resolution No. 159.

This event offers an opportunity to teach students about history, motivate them to adopt healthier habits such as walking, and embrace acceptance of their classmates who come from diverse backgrounds and cultures.

Dr. Gerald Fitzhugh, II, Ed.D., Superintendent of Orange Public Schools, joined students from multiple schools to walk through the City of Orange Township on Nov. 14, 2024, as shown in the photo. “The Orange Public School District supports Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day and the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program by encouraging students to walk to school and to treat each other respectfully. Our district has endorsed a district-wide Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day, and we will use these events to apply for the 2025 Safe Routes to School Recognition Program. We continually work with EZ Ride to inform our students about the best walking and biking safety practices, and we value our partnership. Thanks to our previous work with EZ Ride, most Orange public schools have hosted walk-to-school days and bike and pedestrian safety presentations. These events have led to many schools receiving Gold Safe Routes to School awards, and the City has received two SRTS infrastructure grants totaling $1,912,000 million in 2018 and 2024 to make safety improvements. We look forward to the continued success of both of these programs.” Superintendent Gerald Fitzhugh II, Ed.D.

Students at Teaneck Public Schools went the extra mile by preparing a wonderful video about Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day with contributions from NJ State Senator Angela McKnight, Assemblywoman Shavonda Sumpter, and Teaneck Superintendent Andre Spencer.

NJDOT’s NJ Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program recognizes Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day as meeting the criteria for the annual Safe Routes to School Recognition Awards program.

The EZ Ride Bike and Pedestrian team is proud to support this meaningful event. We are available to conduct presentations about Ruby Bridges and pedestrian safety and can provide ideas and resources for banners, signs, and student incentives. For more information, contact us at [email protected] or 201-939-4242, option 3.

Congratulations to all the students, teachers, and community members who participated in this year’s Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day! Together, we are making strides towards a healthier, more inclusive future.