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A 'home for historical stories' | Civil rights icon celebrated at fifth annual 'Ruby Bridges Reading Festival'

The first black child to attend an all-white school in Louisiana said that today, even as books are being banned, "reading is fundamental."

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The legacy of a civil rights icon was celebrated for the fifth time with a festival dedicated to literature on Saturday. 

The National Civil Rights Museum hosted it's annual "Ruby Bridges Reading Festival" to a packed crowd ready to hear from a long-time advocate of both literacy and equal rights.

In 1960, Bridges became the first Black child to attend an all-white elementary school in Louisiana. At the event on Saturday Bridges said that today, even as books are being banned, "reading is fundamental." 

"My story is here at the museum," Bridges said. "There's so many stories and, let's face it, today books are being banned, and so we want to make sure that the community knows that we have books."

Bridges said wants to make sure parents know that the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis is making books available to children to learn about their history as well as themselves.

Bridges said she considers the museum a "home for historical stories."  

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