By Sara Beth Williams–
Lichen K-8 in Citrus Heights will be participating in the national civil rights movement Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day on Nov. 14 to honor civil rights icon Ruby Bridges.
This marks the second year in a row that the school has taken part in the national event, which encourages students and families to celebrate inclusion, equality, and the courage of those who paved the way for desegregation in schools.
Families and community members are invited on Friday, Nov. 14 to join the walk from one of three meeting locations near the school, including Lichen Drive and Carmelwood Drive, Outlook Drive and Zenith Drive, and Whyte Avenue and Pronghorn Court.
Participants should plan to arrive at their chosen location between 7:20 and 7:25 a.m., with groups beginning their walk to school at 7:30 a.m. The walk is expected to take about ten minutes, arriving at Lichen K-8 around 7:40 a.m.
The annual event is part of a nationwide effort to commemorate Ruby Bridges, who, at just six years old, became a symbol of courage and change in 1960 when she became the first Black student to integrate an all-white elementary school in New Orleans. Bridges was escorted by federal marshals through crowds of protestors, and her bravery marked a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement.
Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day began in 2018 and was officially recognized in California in 2021.
