\u201cThese women,\u201d\u009d she said, \u201chad become a quiet, potent force for change. The white community didn\u2019t want black children educated out of their place. Classrooms were spaces where the outside world did not intrude. Within these spaces, Miss Ruby nurtured dignity, self-awareness and obligation to God. She served as a light to others and worked against the mental and spiritual boundaries imposed by Jim Crow. She challenged the students to succeed and understand they were part of a larger world and develop independence and self-sufficiency. She did not call attention to herself while preparing generations of students for their futures.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n
Miss Ruby achieved national recognition during her career. Life Magazine and \u201c60 Minutes\u201d\u009d featured her. She was a guest on NBC\u2019s Today Show and on ABC\u2019s Good Morning America. She also appeared on the Tonight Show with host Johnny Carson. She received four honorary degrees \u201d\u201d from Winthrop, University of the South at Sewanee, the University of South Carolina and Coastal Carolina University.<\/p>\n
When she was very ill, she was visited by her close friend, Bishop Fitz Allison, who was accompanied by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Allison said she was the perfect host. \u201cI think he found as much dignity in that room as in Buckingham Palace,\u201d\u009d Allison said.<\/p>\n