Alumni

Booker T. Washington once said “Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.”

For those who say this is impossible, almost like a dream, remember what Langston Hughes said, “Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.”

In my family education is very important because it is what you need to be amazing in life.

I want to go to Alabama and Georgia because meeting the foot soldiers of the Civil Rights Movement will give me a truer understanding of the past. The foot soldiers were on the front lines of the Civil Rights Movement and their stories will provide a map for change I want to bring about.

I care about Black History because I am of the Black race and want to learn more about my history and where I came from. I care about the Civil Rights Movement because I see what other Black people have done for me and the Black community.

BEC2BAMA is a good challenge for me to tackle. It will provide me the opportunity to learn things about Black history few others have. I am especially excited to meet other people who know a lot about Black history and are proud to teach people like me more about Black history.

This program will give me the opportunity to engage and ask questions to the people who participated in the Civil Rights Movement and never gave up hope to make sure our lives matter. I specifically want to learn more about Rosa Parks and the adversity she faced for not giving up her seat to a white man.

I want us to learn from our past, so we don't mistakenly repeat the actions of those before us. While I love learning history in class, BEC2BAMA will give me the opportunity to learn about the Civil Rights Movement from those who lived it.

I am especially interested in humanity and how societies and cultures develop over time. Furthermore, I like studying the past and considering alternative history, or how things would have been different if the government had made different decisions. Finally, I love learning about historic buildings and monuments made before I was born.

As an African American woman, I have always worked hard for what I wanted because opportunities like BEC2BAMA are not just handed to people, especially African Americans. I work hard not just for myself, but so that when I get older my family can look up to me. If my family is genuinely inspired by me, I will become a role model to others and change the world for the better.

My favorite civil rights activist is Sojourner Truth because she was an abolitionist and women's rights activist that made sure to advocate for herself and all women with her “Ain’t I a Women Speech.” My other favorite civil rights leader is Harriet Tubman. I have looked up to her since I was a little girl because she showed me the true value of perseverance and doing whatever you can for what's right.

My hero is Melanie Martinez because she’s been one of my favorite singers since I was little. I admire her because she always wears unique, cute outfits and continues to make great music year after year! Melanie Martinez was a huge inspiration for me when I was younger!

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.

The greatest quote from the Civil Rights Movement is “The time is always right to do what's right,” from the one and only Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I like this powerful quote because it reminds us that we can always do what’s right and call for change.

One thing I have learned in my life is that my family, especially my great-grandmother, played a big role in the Civil Rights Movement. She marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, which I find very cool. Since learning about this, I’ve always wanted to see Alabama.

Two of my heroes are Harriet Tubman and Rosa Parks because these wonderful women stood up for us Black people. If it wasn’t for Harriet Tubman, we would still be enslaved. Without Rosa Parks, we would still be at the back of the bus.