There were protests, boycotts, threats and chaos at the school. After a few days, white parents began bringing their children to school. Ruby Bridges remained the only child in her class, as she would until the following year.
Every morning, as Bridges walked to school, one woman would threaten to poison her, while another held up a black baby doll in a coffin; because of this, the U.S. Marshals allowed Bridges to eat only the food that she brought from home.