NBC Nightly News Full Episode - May 29

TONIGHT THE INCREDIBLE RESCUE. A SURVIVOR TRAPPED INSIDE THAT LAOS CAVE, PULLED OUT ALIVE. NOW DIVERS RACING AGAINST THE CLOCK. TO GET THE REST OF THE PEOPLE TRAPPED OUT. THE DRAMATIC MOMENT. THE SURVIVOR EMERGES COVERED IN MUD AFTER A WEEK INSIDE THAT FLOODED CAVE. WE HEAR FROM A RESCUER AS A RAINSTORM THREATENS THE RISKY RESCUE OF THE OTHERS. THE PERILOUS CONDITIONS, THOSE DIVERS ARE NOW UP. AGAINST AT THIS HOUR.

ALSO TONIGHT, THE DEADLY BUS CRASH ON I-95, SMASHING INTO CARS, KILLING 5. VIDEO OF PASSENGERS ESCAPING THE WRECKAGE THROUGH BROKEN WINDOWS. HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? PLUS THE CAR RAMMING INTO A DETROIT AIRPORT. THE DRIVER ARRESTED. WAS THIS DONE ON PURPOSE? THE MASSIVE FIREBALL AS JEFF BEZOS' BLUE ORIGIN ROCKET EXPLODES. THE LAUNCH PAD DESTROYED. HOW IT'S BLOWING UP NASA'S PLANS TO GO TO THE MOON. A GROWING NUMBER OF ARTISTS BAILING ON PRESIDENT TRUMP'S AMERICA 250 CELEBRATION.

ON THE NATIONAL MALL. SO WHO'S IN AND WHO'S OUT? THE DEADLY FALL ON NORTH AMERICA'S TALLEST MOUNTAIN. THREE CLIMBERS KILLED. ANOTHER RESCUED. WHAT WE'RE LEARNING. THE MYSTERIOUS SONIC BOOM, CAMERAS SHAKING, DOGS SENT RUNNING AFTER A NOISE RATTLED PARTS OF THE SOUTH. WHAT SET OFF THAT SHOCK WAVE? ROLLER COASTER RESCUE. STUDENTS STUCK DANGLING 100 FT IN THE AIR.

FOR HOURS. HOW THEY FINALLY GOT DOWN. EMERGENCY IN THE AIR. A SMALL PLANE CRASHING RIGHT ONTO A HOSPITAL CAMPUS. HOW EVERYONE. WALKED AWAY. AND OUR SERIES GREAT AMERICANS CIVIL RIGHTS TRAILBLAZER RUBY BRIDGES, YOU KNOW THE ICONIC IMAGES OF HER AS A YOUNG GIRL ALMOST 70 YEARS AGO. NOW HEAR HER INSPIRING MESSAGE TODAY. NIGHTLY NEWS STARTS RIGHT NOW. THIS IS NBC NIGHTLY NEWS WITH TOM YAMASS.

GOOD EVENING. WE BEGIN TONIGHT WITH THE RACE AGAINST TIME TO SAVE 4 MEN TRAPPED IN A CAVE. AND THE STUNNING NEW IMAGES OF THE FIRST MAN WHO MADE IT OUT AND SURVIVED. THIS WAS THAT INCREDIBLE MOMENT, FREEDOM, WHEN THAT MAN CRAWLS OUT CAKED IN MUD. AFTER HE WAS STUCK DOWN THERE FOR DAYS, AND HERE HE IS BEING WHISKED AWAY BY THE REST OF THE RESCUE TEAM. THAT MOMENT AFTER AN HOURS-LONG TREACHEROUS RESCUE DEEP.

INSIDE A CAVE IN LAOS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA. HERE YOU CAN SEE THOSE TWO RESCUERS FINALLY REACH HIM, AND THEN TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF WHAT THEY'RE DEALING WITH, THESE ARE THE NARROW PASSAGEWAYS THEY HAD TO WORK THEIR WAY THROUGH. TONIGHT 4 MORE MEN ARE STILL TRAPPED DOWN THERE AND 2 ARE MISSING. THE 4 HAVE BEEN STUCK FOR MORE THAN A WEEK AFTER. A FLASH FLOOD TRAPPED THEM WHILE THEY WERE LOOKING FOR GOLD, AND NOW. THE CLOCK IS TICKING WITH MORE SEVERE WEATHER ON THE WAY.

OURTONIGHT THE EXTRAORDINARYRTS US OMOMENT.GHT. THE FIRST SURVIVOR GUIDED OUT FROM A TUNNEL LOOKING DAZED, COVERED IN MUD, BUT FREE. THEN CAME A SMILE. AFTER BEING TRAPPED MORE THAN A WEEK DEEP INSIDE A CAVE. THIS VIDEO SHOWING RESCUERS SQUEEZING DOWN TO REACH 4 OTHER MEN STILL STUCK, A RESCUER TELLING HIM, I WANT TO GET YOU OUT, THE MAN SAYING,

I DON'T HAVE THE STRENGTH. DIVERS ARE NOW DELIVERING WATER AND FOOD TO THEM. CREWS HAVE BEEN PUMPING WATER OUT OF THE CAVE, BUT STORMS ARE THREATENING TO FLOOD IT AGAIN. ANOTHER WORRY SIGNS OF DECLINING HEALTH AND THE MEN THEY'RE TRYING TO FREE. IF I DON'T GET OUT, I'LL DIE AND WON'T GET TO SEE MY WIFE AND CHILD, THIS MAN SAYS. THEY'RE QUITE WEAK, SO SAFETY IS THE PRIORITY,

SAYS THIS RESCUER, AND WE HAVE TO PREPARE FOR ANY PANIC ATTACKS ON THE WAY OUT. THE GROUP WENT INTO THE CAVE LAST WEEK TO LOOK FOR GOLD. WHEN HEAVY RAIN TRIGGERED A FLASH FLOOD AND BLOCKED IT WITH DEBRIS. TWO MEN ARE STILL MISSING. RESCUE TEAMS AND DIVERS FROM THAILAND, JAPAN, FRANCE, AUSTRALIA. FOCUSED ON A HIGH STAKES PLAN TO GET THEM ALL OUT. JANICE JOINS US LIVE AND JANICE, TELL OUR VIEWERS HOW THEY'RE RACING NOW TO TRY AND GET THE REST OF THE TRAPPED MEN OUT.

TOM, RESCUE TEAMS ARE UP AGAINST RISING WATER, BAD WEATHER, SHARP ROCKS, ZERO VISIBILITY UNDERWATER IN THESE VERY NARROW PASSAGES. IT'S WHY CONFIDENCE IS A WILD CARD HERE TO HAVE THESE MEN. OVERCOME THE RISK OF ANXIETY. DURING A RESCUE THAT IS AS COMPLICATED FOR THE. TRYING TO SAVE THEM, TOM, AND ONE BEING WATCHED BY THE ENTIRE WORLD NOW. OK, JANICE, WE THANK YOU FOR THAT. THE OTHER MAJOR STORY TONIGHT,

THE DE BUS ACCIDENT ON I-95 IN VIRGINIA. KILLING 5 PEOPLE, INCLUDING A 7-YEAR-OLD. IT'S THE LATEST IN A STRING OF COMMUTER INCIDENTS TODAY. HERE'S ERIN MCLAUGHLIN. TONIGHT 5 PEOPLE ARE DEAD AND DOZENS MORE. HOSPITALIZED AFTER A BUS CRASH IN VIRGINIA. MULTIPLE PEOPLE JUMPING OUT OF WINDOWS. NEW VIDEO SHOWS THE HARROWING MOMENT PASSENGERS ESCAPED THE WRECKAGE. AS FIRST RESPONDERS DESPERATELY TRIED TO HELP THOSE STILL INSIDE THE BUS.

ACCORDING TO STATE POLICE, THE MASS CASUALTY CRASH HAPPENED AT 2:35 THIS MORNING OFF. 95 NEAR QUANTICO. AFTER THE BUS FAILED TO SLOW DOWN WITH THE. REST OF THE TRAFFIC APPROACHING A WORK ZONE, SLAMMING INTO SIX VEHICLES, A 13-YEAR-OLD GIRL AND A 7-YEAR-OLD BOY AMONG THOSE KILLED. THE NTSB AND STATE POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING. MEANWHILE, AN ALARMING SCENE AT DETROIT METRO AIRPORT. AFTER A CAR PLOWED INTO THIS TERMINAL. SHOCKING TRAVEL. IT.

WAS UNBELIEVABLE. THESE IMAGES SHOW THE DRIVER BEING LED AWAY IN HANDCUFFS. OFFICIALS SAY HE SEEMED VERY DISORIENTED. AND OVERNIGHT IN NEW YORK CITY, THIS STUNNING PHOTO CAPTURED BY A PASSENGER ON A TRAIN TO NEW JERSEY. TELLING US THE FIRE WAS FOLLOWED BY AN EXPLOSION. THE MTA SAYS TWO AMTRAK WORK TRAINS COLLIDED IN A TUNNEL JUST OUTSIDE PENN STATION. INJURING 5 WORKERS AND FORCING BOTH NEW. JERSEY TRANSIT AND AMTRAK TO SUSPEND SERVICE.

TONIGHT, THE MTA CEO SLAMMING AMTRAK, NOTING THIS IS THE 3RD DISRUPTION TO HIT PENN STATION IN A MATTER OF WEEKS. WE'RE ALL DEPENDENT ON AMTRAK'S BROKEN INFRASTRUCTURE. WE'RE ALL DEPENDENT ON AMTRAK NOT TO HAVE MAJOR EVENTS LIKE THIS, AND YET THEY KEEP HAPPENING. LET'S PICK IT UP RIGHT THERE. AARON JOINS US NOW LIVE FROM NEW YORK CITY'S PENN STATION. AARON, WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM AMTRAK? WELL, TOM, AMTRAK'S CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER APOLOGIZED FOR TODAY'S INCIDENT,

BUT HE CALLED MTA'ITICISM. OFF BASE. MEANWHILE, HERE, SERVICE HAS BEEN RESTORED, THOUGH SOME TRAINS ARE STILL DELAYED FOR THIS EVENING'S COMMUTE. TOM, ERIN, THANK YOU. A DALLAS NEIGHBORHOOD IS REELING TONIGHT AFTER THAT HUGE EXPLOSION. LEVELED AN APARTMENT BUILDING. AND NOW WE'RE LEARNING MORE ABOUT WHO WAS. KILLED AND WHAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THAT BLAST. RYAN CHANDLER IS THERE FOR US TONIGHT, AND RYAN, WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THOSE VICTIMS? WELL, TOM, OFFICIALS TELL US 3 PEOPLE DIED HERE YESTERDAY,

2 WOMEN AND A CHILD, AS NOW ALL OTHERS HAVE BEEN ACCOUNTED FOR. AFTER IT WAS THIS BUILDING THAT WAS OVERCOME. WITH FIRE AFTER YESTERDAY'S EXPLOSION. DALLAS OFFICIALS TELL US 19 FAMILIES LIVED IN THAT APARTMENT COMPLEX AS. QUESTIONS NOW SWIRL ABOUT HOW ALL OF THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED. THE NTSB. IS ON SITE TODAY. THE INVESTIGATION. IS CENTERING AROUND A CONTRACTOR WHO MAY HAVE HIT A GAS LINE. BEFORE THE CATASTROPHIC. BLAST. STILL SO MANY QUESTIONS, TOM, AS NOW THIS COMMUNITY. MOVES TO MOURN THE THREE PEOPLE WE LOST.

AND RALLIEOUND ALL THOSE FAMILIES. WHO ARE IN SO MUCH NEED TONIGHT. TOM. OK, RYAN, WE THANK YOU. WE TURN NOW TO ANOTHER BLAST. INVESTIGATORS ARE LOOKING INTO WHAT CAUSED THIS MASSIVE EXPLOSION. THAT RIPPED APART A BLUE ORIGIN ROCKET LAST NIGHT, APPARENTLY DESTROYING THE LAUNCH PAD AND POTENTIALLY. DELAYING NASA'S PLANS FOR A RETURN TO THE MOON. HERE'S TOM COSTELLO. THE EXPLOSION WAS MASSIVE. FILLING THE NIGHT SKY WITH A BRILLIANT ORANGE,

THAT'S NOT GOOD, CAPTURED ON DOORBELL CAMERAS AND SHAKING HOMES AND BARS IN NEARBY CAPE CANAVERAL. IT LOOKS LIKE. THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION. BLUE ORIGIN'S NEW GLENN ROCKET WENT UP IN A BALL OF FIRE. DURING A ROUTINE GROUND TEST FUELED BY METHANE AND LIQUID OXYGEN. NO INJURIES. FROM THE AIR. THE COMPANY'S ONLY LAUNCH PAD. APPEARS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. BLUE ORIGIN OWNER JEFF BEZOS POSTING, VERY ROUGH DAY, BUT WE WILL REBUILD WHATEVER NEEDS REBUILDING. AND GET BACK TO FLYING.

THE DISASTER COMES JUST DAYS AFTER NASA AWARD OF BLUE ORIGIN, A NEARLY $200 MILLION CONTRACT TO LAUNCH COMPONENTS. AND PERHAPS EVENTUALLY ASTRONAUTS TO A LUNAR BASE. THE GRAND RETURN IS CLOSE AT HAND, AND WE WILL NOT SLOW DOWN. BUT NOW A POTENTIAL DELAY TO NASA'S AMBITIOUS LAUNCH SCHEDULE SET TO START THIS FALL. AND NEXT YEAR WITH THE ARTEMIS. PREFLIGHT TO TEST DOCKING PROCEDURES IN EARTH ORBIT. FORMER NASA CHIEF CHARLIE BOLDEN, SPACE FLIGHT IS HARD NO MATTER WHO'S DOING IT.

WE KNOW HOW TO DO IT, BUT NATURE AND PHYSICS AND A LOT OF OTHER THINGS HAVE A SAY IN ALL THIS. IT WAS JUST LAST MONTH THAT ANOTHER BLUE ORIGIN. ROCKET FAILURE LEFT A SATELLITE IN A WRONG ORBIT, AND NOW A BIGGER FAILURE. AS THE COMPANY TRIES TO COMPETE WITH SPACEX. AND HELP SEND HUMANS EVENTUALLY ONTO THE MOON, TOM, TOM COSTELLO FOR US. WE WANT TO HEAD TO WASHINGTON NOW BECAUSE PRESIDENT. TRUMP TONIGHT IS SAYING HE'S MAKING A FINAL DETERMINATION. OVER A POTENTIAL NUCLEAR DEAL WITH THE IRANIAN REGIME.

AFTER A MEETING IN THE SITUATION ROOM TODAY. GARRETT HAIG JOINS US NOW, AND GARRETT, WE'VE JUST LEARNED THAT MEETING WRAPPED UP EARLY. THAT'S RIGHT, TOM. PRESIDENT TRUMP MADE THAT POST JUST BEFORE 11 O'CLOCK THIS MORNING, BUT AFTER WHAT A WHITE HOUSE OFFICIAL TELLS ME WAS A TWO HOUR MEETING, STILL NO FINAL DETERMINATION HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED. NOW IN HIS POST, THE PRESIDENT SAYS THE IRANIAN REGIME CANNOT HAVE NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND. THAT THE US WOULD DIG UP AND REMOVE IRAN'S ENRICHED URANIUM, WHICH HE CALLS NUCLEAR DUST. THE REGIME MUST ALSO IMMEDIATELY OPEN THE STRAIT. OF HORMUZ WITHOUT CHARGING TOLLS AND REMOVE MINES.

WELL TONIGHT, TWO US OFFICIALS AND ANOTHER PERSON FAMILIAR WITH THE. MATTER TELL NBC NEWS THAT THE US MILITARY HAS. NOT CONFIRMED THAT IRAN HAS PLACED ANY MINES IN. THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ DESPITE THEIR ONGOING SEARCHES. TODAY, STOCKS SOARED AND OIL PRICES DROPPED TO THEIR. LOWEST LEVELS ON HOPES OF A RESOLUTION, BUT. STILL NO WORD. TOM. OK, GARRETT, GARRETT, THANK YOU. THE PRESIDENT ALSO FACING A GROWING NUMBER OF MUSICAL ACTS PULLING OUT. OF THE CELEBRATION HE'S HOSTING ON THE NATIONAL MALL TO CELEBRATE.

AMERICA'S 250TH BIRTHDAY ON JULY 4TH, ALL AS A JUDGE IS ORDERING PRESIDENT TRUMP'S NAME. BE REMOVED FROM THE KENNEDY CENTER NOW. HERE'S MONICA ALBA. TONIGHT WITH PREPS ALREADY UNDERWAY FOR AN EVENT. CELEBRATING AMERICA'S 250TH BIRTHDAY ON THE NATIONAL MALL, A NEW SNAG. THIS WILL BE A TIME LIKE YOU'VE NEVER HAD IN YOUR LIVES. AMERICA 250. 6 MUSICAL ARTISTS ORIGINALLY ANNOUNCED AS PERFORMERS, NOW DROPPING OUT, MANY CITING POLITICAL CONCERNS.

COUNTRY SINGER MARTINA MCBRIDE WRITING, I WAS PRESENTED WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO PERFORM AT A NONPARTISAN EVENT, BUT THAT TURNED OUT TO BE MISLEADING. RAPPER YOUNG MC SAYING. ARTISTS WERE NEVER TOLD ABOUT ANY POLITICAL INVOLVEMENT. AND POISON FRONTMAN BRET MICHAELS WRITING, IT'S EVOLVED INTO SOMETHING MUCH MORE DIVISIVE THAN I AGREED TO BE PART OF. THE EVENT IS ORGANIZED BY FREEDOM 250, A PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP LAUNCHED BY PRESIDENT TRUMP. WE HAVE A PRESIDENT THAT WANTS TO CELEBRATE 250 YEARS OF AMERICA,

UM, AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE DOING, AND THAT'S HOW IT WAS SOLD. TO PERFORMERS. AND NOT EVERYONE IS BACKING OUT. A REPRESENTATIVE FOR VANILLA ICE TELLING NBC NEWS. HE IS PROUD TO HELP CELEBRATE AMERICA'S 250TH ANNIVERSARY. OTHERS STILL SLATED TO PERFORM INCLUDE FLO RIDA, CNC MUSIC FACTORY, AND FAB MORVAN OF MILLI VANILLI. AND UP FIRST, THE CAGE GOING UP FOR THAT BIG UFC FIGHT AT THE WHITE HOUSE. THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT OFFERING TROOPS FREE TICKETS.

BUT REQUIRING THEY MEET CERTAIN HEIGHT AND WEIGHT REQUIREMENTS, ACCORDING TO A PENTAGON MEMO WHICH CALLS IT A HIGH VISIBILITY EVENT. AND TONIGHT A JUDGE BLOCKING. PRESIDENT TRUMP'S CLOSURE OF THE KENNEDY CENTER. AND ORDERING HIS NAME BE REMOVED FROM THE BUILDING. THE PRESIDENT SAYING THE JUDGE SHOULD BE ASHAMED. BUT CONCEDING HE WILL GIVE CONTROL OF IT. BACK TO CONGRESS. TOM, MONICA ALBA FOR US, AND WE ARE BACK IN 60 SECONDS WITH A MYSTERY IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA SKY.

WHAT WAS THAT? THE SONIC BOOM AND THE QUESTIONS SWIRLING. OVER WHAT CAUSED IT? ALL NEXT. WE'RE BACK NOW WITH A MYSTERY OUT OF SOUTH CAROLINA. AFTER A BIG BOOM RATTLED HUNDREDS ACROSS THE STATE. IT WASN'T AN EARTHQUAKE AND NASA SAYS IT WASN'T THEM, SO WHAT WAS IT? HERE'S JESSE KIRSCH. TONIGHT THERE'S A LOUD EARTH SHAKING MYSTERY. SWIRLING OVER SOUTH CAROLINA.

YOU HEARD EVERYTHING RUMBLE. YOU'RE WHAT, WHAT, WHAT'S GOING ON? AROUND 5:30 YESTERDAY EVENING, HUNDREDS OF REPORTS CAME IN ABOUT THAT THUNDEROUS BOOM. FROM RURAL COMMUNITIES TO THE STATE CAPITAL. WATCH PETS GO SCRAMBLING. THIS AIRPORT HANGAR'S WALLS RATTLE. MULTIPLE CAMERAS VISIBLY SHAKING TOO. YES, I'M SURE YOU'RE GOING TO START GETTING MULTIPLE 911 CALLS, BUT WE HAD. SOME TYPE OF,

NOT SURE IF EARTHQUAKE OR SOMETHING. THE US GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SAYS THIS WAS NOT AN EARTHQUAKE. NASA SAYS IT WAS NOT CAUSED BY ONE OF ITS LAUNCHES. THE SPACE AGENCY RULING OUT A METEOR TOO. SO WHAT COULD IT BE? THE US GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SAYS THE RECORDED WAVES AND. EYEWITNESS REPORTS ARE CONSISTENT WITH A SONIC BOOM. THAT'S WHEN AN OBJECT LIKE A FIGHTER JET TRAVELS FASTER THAN THE SPEED OF SOUND, AROUND 760. MPH OR FASTER. A SUDDEN SPIKE AND DROP IN PRESSURE SOUNDS LIKE A BOOM.

A NEARBY AIR FORCE BASE TOLD. OUR AFFILIATE. NOTHING REPORTED THERE WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE BOOM. WE REACHED OUT TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT, BUT SO FAR NO ANSWER ON THE CAUSE. TOM, STILL A MYSTERY. ALL RIGHT, JESSE, AND WE'RE BACK IN A MOMENT WITH THE ROLLER COASTER NIGHTMARE, THE DARING RESCUE AFTER STUDENTS ON A FIELD TRIP GOT STUCK 100 FT UP IN THE AIR. FOR HOURS. WE'RE BACK NOW WITH A DARING RESCUE INVOLVING STUDENTS ON A.

FIELD TRIP THAT WERE TRAPPED ON A ROLLER COA FOR HOURS. YOU CAN SEE THE 8 RIDERS TRAPPED VERTICALLY ABOUT 100 FT IN THE AIR. ON THE IRON SHARK COASTER IN GALVESTON, TEXAS. HERE YOU CAN SEE THE FIREFIGHTERS RUSHING TO GET UP THERE. THOSE STUDENTS WERE STUCK FOR ABOUT 4 HOURS. THE AMUSEMENT PARK. SAID THE RIDE MALFUNCTIONED. BUT STOPPED AS DESIGNED TO KEEP THOSE RIDERS SAFE. ALSO TONIGHT, 3 CLIMBERS HAVE DIED IN A FALL WHILE SCALING. AMERICA'S TALLEST PEAK, MOUNT MCKINLEY, IN ALASKA.

A 4TH CLIMBER ALSO FELL. BUT WAS EVACUATED FROM THE MOUNTAIN AND IS NOW IN CRITICAL CONDITION. THE 4 WERE MEMBERS OF A LATVIAN CLIMBING GROUP, AND A SMALL PLANE CRASHED NEAR A HOSPITAL IN SOUTH. YOU CAN SEE IT FLIPPED ON ITS BACK. TWO PEOPLE WERE ON BOARD. BOTH OF THEM SURVIVED, AND THERE WERE NO REPORTED INJURIES. THE FAA IS INVESTIGATING. WHAT EXACTLY CAUSED THAT CRASH. ALL RIGHT, WHEN WE COME BACK TONIGHT, THE LATEST IN OUR SERIES PROFILING GREAT AMERICANS. MEET THE WOMAN WHO AT JUST 6 YEARS OLD CARRIED THE WEIGHT OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT.

JUST BY GOING TO SCHOOL. THAT'S NEXT. FINALLY TONIGHT, OUR WEEKLY SERIES ABOUT GREAT AMERICANS WHERE WE. TALK WITH THOSE WHO HAVE ACHIEVED SO MUCH. AND HELPED SO MANY. ABOUT THEIR LIFE AND THIS COUNTRY. TONIGHT I SPOKE WITH A WOMAN WHOSE BRAVERY AT. THE AGE OF 6 HELPED CHANGE OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM. OUR GREAT AMERICAN THIS WEEK, RUBY BRIDGES. AND A NOTE, IF YOU'RE WATCHING WITH YOUR CHILDREN TONIGHT, SHE RECOUNTS A STORY AND THE RACIAL SLUR USED AGAINST HER.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT AMERICA? I HAVEN'T REALLY LIVED. IN OTHER COUNTRIES. WE DO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, AND BASICALLY IT'S UP TO YOU AND WHAT YOU. DO WITH THAT. IT'S A LESSON RUBY BRIDGES LEARNED IN 1960 IN NEW ORLEANS AT JUST 6 YEARS OLD. EVEN IN THE STREETS OF SO SOPHISTICATED A CITY AS THIS ONE, VIOLENCE OVERTAKES REASON. WEARING HER BEST WHITE DRESS AND RIBBONS,

SHE WALKED INTO WILLIAM FRANCE ELEMENTARY, BECOMING ONE OF THE FIRST BLACK CHILDREN TO INTEGRATE. AN ALL-WHITE SCHOOL IN THE SOUTH. I REMEMBER THEM SCREAMING AND CHANTING, 2468, WE DON'T WANT TO INTEGRATE. AND I. DIDN'T HAVE A CLUE WHAT THE WORD INTEGRATE MEANT. THE SUPREME COURT HAD DECLARED SEGREGATION IN. PUBLIC SCHOOLS UNCONSTITUTIONAL SIX YEARS EARLIER.

REGARDLESS OF WHAT THEY SAY, MY CHILD'S STILL NOT GOING TO GO TO COLLEGE, BUT MUCH OF THE SOUTH WAS STILL FIGHTING IT. EVERY DECENT, SELF-RESPECTING, LOVING PARENT SHOULD TAKE HIS WHITE CHILD OUT OF THAT PAROCHIAL SCHOOL. RUBY'S FATHER, A KOREAN WAR VETERAN, WORRIED FOR HIS DAUGHTER. HER MOTHER. ULTIMATELY MADE THE CALL. THERE WAS A KNOCK AT THE DOOR, AND THERE WERE 4. VERY TALL WHITE MEN STANDING THERE. AND THEY HAD THESE YELLOW BANDS ON THEIR ARMS.

I REMEMBERM SAYING THAT WE'RE US MARSHALS. WE'VE BEEN SENT BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. THAT WE'RE HERE TO ESCORT YOU AND YOUR DAUGHTER TO SCHOOL TODAY. RACIST CROWDS WAVED CONFEDERATE FLAGS. THEY WERE SCREAMING AND SHOUTING AND THROWING THINGS. AND I IMMEDIATELY. THOUGHT, IT'S MARDI GRAS. YOU KNOW, LIVING IN NEW ORLEANS, THERE WERE POLICE OFFICERS EVERYWHERE, AND I REMEMBER THEM SAYING, MS. BRIDGES, WE WANT YOU TO WALK STRAIGHT AHEAD AND DON'T LOOK BACK.

SHE REMEMBERS WALKING INSIDE. AS I CLIMBED THE STAIRS, I COULD SEE MYSELF IN THE FLOOR, SEPARATE BUT EQUAL. IS WHAT WE WERE TOLD AND THAT WAS DEFINITELY NOT THE CASE. THE SCHOOL WAS. A. LOT WAS A LOT NICER, IMMACULATE COMPARED TO WHAT YOU WERE GOING, AND I REMEMBER WHEN I LOOKED INTO THE CLASSROOM BEFORE I STEPPED IN. IT WAS EMPTY. AND I THEN THOUGHT, MY MOM HAS BROUGHT ME TO SCHOOL TOO EARLY. AND INDEED WE WERE TOO EARLY.

YEARS TOO EARLY, BUT RUBY. KEPT SHOWING UP. THERE WAS A DAY THAT YOU MET SOME OF THE KIDS, SOME OF THE WHITE KIDS, AND, AND THEY WEREN'T VERY NICE TO YOU. I. WENT IN TO PLAY WITH THEM. AND A LITTLE BOY LOOKED AT ME AND HE SAID, I CAN'T PLAY WITH YOU. MY MOM SAID NOT TO PLAY WITH YOU BECAUSE YOU'RE A ***. THE MINUTE HE SAID IT. IT FELT LIKE THIS HUGE WEIGHT. LIFTED OFF MY SHOULDERS. I MEAN, EVEN AT 6, IT WAS LIKE. SO.

THAT'S. WHAT THIS IS ABOUT. THAT'S WHY THERE'S NO KIDS HERE. IT'S ABOUT ME. AND THE COLOR OF MY SKIN. THE ENORMITY OF RUBY'S FIRST DAY. INSPIRING ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC PAINTINGS OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, NORMAN ROCKWELL'S THE PROBLEM WE ALL LIVE WITH. SO THIS IS THE ILLUSTRATOR, NOW A CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST AND CHILDREN'S AUTHOR, HER MISSION IS TO ENSURE HISTORY. IS REMEMBERED. DO YOU THINK YOUR PARENTS KNEW THAT WE WOULD.

BE TALKING ABOUT THIS ALL THESE DECADES LATER? OH NO. NO WAY. THEY WERE MORE CONSUMED WITH. WHERE THE NEXT MEAL WAS GOING TO COME FROM. AS A MATTER OF FACT, I KNOW THEY WEREN'T BECAUSE AFTER THE FIRST DAY, MY MOM SAID, OH MY GOD, WHAT HAVE I DONE? IT TAKES GUTS THOUGH TOO, TRUST ME, THAT WAS ONE THING MY MOTHER HAD, BUT YES, WHAT'S MOST AMERICAN IS THAT. THE OPPORTUNITIES CAN. COME.

AND WE HAVE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEM. AND WHEN THEY DON'T. WE HAVE TO MAKE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES. WE LIVE IN A PLACE. WHERE IT'S POSSIBLE, AND THAT IS WHAT I THINK IS MOST AMERICAN. RUBY BRIDGES, AN AMERICAN ICON. TO SEE MY EXTENDED INTERVIEW, YOU CAN GO TO NBCNEWS.COM OR THE NBC NEWS APP. THAT'S NIGHTLY NEWS FOR THIS FRIDAY. I'M TOM YAMASS. WE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WATCHING. TONIGHT, AND ALWAYS, WE'RE HERE FOR YOU. GOOD NIGHT.