Building Bridges

Casting "Building Buildings," a short film.

Synopsis:

Ruby Bridges, a six-year-old African American girl gets ready for her first day at an all-white, segregated Elementary School. Ruby’s mother, Lucille, assist her by styling her hair the morning before school while expressing the importance of her first day, whereas Ruby’s father, Abon, shows little to no interest in the decision of Ruby attending an all-white segregated school. Ruby and Lucille is then escorted to school by four U.S. Federal Marshals. When arriving at the school there is a large crowd of angry parents and locals who are upset about the decision to integrate schools. One of the U.S. Marshals warns Ruby to keep her eyes forward and not look back when walking into the school. The crowd holds signs above their heads, chants “2, 4, 6, 8, we don’t want to integrate,” and threatens Ruby as she is escorted into the school. Ruby then meets her teacher, Barbara Henry, for the first time. Mrs. Henry is a white lady from Boston who is the only teacher willing to teach Ruby. In fact, Ruby is Mrs. Henry’s only student that year since the parents refuse to let their children share a classroom with an African American. Ruby spends the entire day in Mrs. Henry’s class including lunch and recess until one day Mrs. Henry allows her to join the other children at recess. Ruby walks outside with a jump rope in her hand when a ball from a group of children rolls her way. When a boy comes to retrieve the ball, Ruby asks if she could play with them. The boy replies he can not, as he obeys his parent's wishes.