My name is Mamadou Bah. I was born in Guinea, Africa, in 2009. I came to America four years ago and now am an eighth grader. I live with my mom, father, two small brothers, and one small sister. My family loves to hang out together and go camping during the summer. My hero is my father because he works really hard to provide for his family. When I grow up, I want to be a soccer player and if that doesn’t work, I want to be a doctor because I want to help people around me.

My favorite piece of civil rights history is the Jim Crow South because, as somebody who was born in Africa, I disagree with the laws that disenfranchised Black people and stopped them from having a voice in government. There were also laws that segregated Black and white people or completely separated them. In general, this period was unjust. I admire the activists who protested against the Jim Crow South’s racism. My favorite quote is, “You can’t separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom,” by Malcolm X. I like this quote because it demonstrates how sometimes we have to fight back against the injustices of racism for peace and freedom.

I recently joined BK2BAMA, which is a program that helps students learn about the Civil Rights Movement. In April, we will travel to Alabama and Georgia to visit sites and historians and also meet with activists from the Civil Rights Movement. I joined BK2BAMA because I love history and learning new things. I’m excited to visit the states where key events in the Civil Rights Movement took place. I especially can’t wait to meet Dr. Viola Bradford, who worked for a newspaper to expose racism in the South. Her work reminds me of the muckrakers during the Gilded Age.