Florida School District Temporarily Bans Disney’s ‘Ruby Bridges’ Film After Parent Alleges Racial Content

Pinellas County Schools Ruby Bridges Florida elementary school Disney North Shore Elementary

By E.Baloyo , Parent Herald Mar 29, 01:32 am

Photo: (Photo : Bryan Bedder /Getty Images)

A Florida elementary school has temporarily banned the 1998 Disney film "Ruby Bridges" from being shown to students after a parent filed a complaint this month.

The parent alleged that the movie teaches hate between Black and white people.

After the complaint was filed, the school district temporarily barred students from viewing the historical film about civil rights pioneer Ruby Bridges.

Florida elementary school bans Disney's 'Ruby Bridges'

NBC reported that the film was shown to approximately 60 second-grade students at North Shore Elementary in St. Petersburg, Florida, on March 2.

For each child to be allowed into the theater, a permission slip had to be filled out and signed by their parents or guardian.

According to a complaint filed by one of the parents after viewing the first 50 minutes of the film, two parents refused permission for their children to watch the movie.

The parents claimed that it promotes the use of racial slurs and propagates the idea that white people harbor hatred towards Black people.

Pinellas County Schools officials temporarily banned "Ruby Bridges" from the elementary school until a committee assesses it.

The school district provided a link to the trailer in the permission slips for all parents to review.

Following the complaint, Pinellas County Schools public information officer Isabel Mascareñas stated that the concerned parent was informed that the school would not present the movie again for the remainder of the school year since it had already been shown.

According to Fox 13, no information is available on whether the school district has made a final decision.

However, the film can still be accessed through the district's authorized movie library, according to Mascareñas.

The move by the school district to temporarily ban "Ruby Bridges" has prompted some Black-led organizations to implement a call to action to protect the teaching of Black history in schools.

The Concerned Organization for Quality Education for Black Students has voiced its concerns and aims to ensure that Pinellas County Schools provide quality education to Black students.

A former police chief in St. Petersburg, Goliath Davis III, also criticized the district's move in an op-ed in The Weekly Challenger, saying that the school district's action is not in line with its purported values of cultural competency and integrity.

Disney's 'Ruby Bridges' film and Florida's Stop WOKE Act

The film's message is to promote racial harmony and tolerance. It showcases Bridges' bravery and the importance of standing up for what is right, even in adversity.

However, some argue that the film's portrayal of racism could be harmful to young viewers. The movie's use of racial slurs and graphic imagery has been controversial since its release.

As the debate over teaching racial history in schools continues, the controversy over the 1998 film "Ruby Bridges" has come to the forefront.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, the film did not generate much controversy until this year, when parents in Florida started exercising their authority to scrutinize their children's exposure to different media in educational settings.

Last year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the Stop WOKE Act, which restricted teaching race-inclusive topics in schools.

The DeSantis administration moved in January to prevent high schools across Florida from teaching an Advanced Placement course on African American studies.

Against this backdrop, the Pinellas County Schools in Florida are expected to engage in the formal objection process to review the film challenged by a parent who objected to the racial content portrayed in the movie.

The controversy surrounding "Ruby Bridges" further highlights the ongoing debate on the impact of media on young viewers and the need to ensure the protection of teaching Black history in schools.