In Bed The Kiss - Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, 1892
Left to right: James Forman, Cleveland Sellers, Ruby Doris Smith Robinson, and Stokely Carmichael
“Throughout late 1961 and into early 1962, Ruby Doris, along with other Atlanta students, staged a series of protests at the hospital. Julian Bond recalls one demonstration when black students went in the hospital’s white entrance. As soon as they stepped inside, the looks of surprise on the faces of white patrons quickly gave way to icy stares. A startled white receptionist immediately told them they could not use that entrance. “And besides,” she added in a hostile voice dripping with sarcasm, “you’re not sick anyway.” The woman’s challenge stopped the students in their tracks like a cold slap in the face. As they milled around in confusion, Ruby Doris separated herself from the group and boldly walked up to the receptionist’s desk. She looked the woman in the eye, bent over, and vomited on the desk. Then she straightened up and demanded to know, “Is that sick enough for you?” The receptionist’s hostility quickly turned into speechless confusion. As the Grady protests continued, authorities began to make arrests. In February 1962, Ruby was among those arrested, but she did not serve time.”
-Cynthia Fleming, Soon We Will Not Cry: The Liberation of Ruby Doris Smith Robinson
