Lela Rochon, Michael Beach star in ABC-TV movie, 'Ruby Bridges; about girl who integrated New Orleans' public school

Jet, Jan 19, 1998

The story of how a 6-year-old Black girl named Ruby Bridges became one of the first Black students to integrate New Orleans public schools in 1960, is told in this week's ABC-TV movie, Ruby Bridges.

The movie, based on a true story and part of "The Wonderful World of Disney," airs at 7 pm (ET) on January 18, the eve of the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday.

Ruby Bridges stars Lela Rochon of Waiting To Exhale fame and Michael Beach who also starred in Waiting To Exhale and more recently, Soul Food.

The movie introduces child actress Chaz Monet in the title role as Ruby Bridges. The talented cast also includes Penelope Ann Miller and Kevin Pollak. The film was directed and co-produced by Euzhan Palcy whose other credits include A Dry White Season and Sugar Cane Alley.

The real life Ruby Bridges, who is now Mrs. Ruby Bridges Hall and the mother of four sons, served as consultant for the movie. A lecturer on civil rights and educational issues, she is also head of the Ruby Bridges Educational Foundation.

She says there is a lesson in Ruby Bridges for everyone. "I think that it is very important that people see what a 6-year-old child had to go through, what the family went through just to be able to have the same privileges as everyone else," she points out.

"Ideally, people will think about that and do everything they can not to pass the hatred on to their children," she says.