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.

My life goal is to push myself and gain one heck of a future that I and my family will be proud of. I want to do what others cannot. I want to be a strong female role model little kids can look up to just like the three amazing feminists I admire, Oprah Winfrey, Alice Walker, and Angela Davis. They shed a light on issues many of us are blind to and inspire others to strive for their best.

I admire Bryan Stevenson because he and everyone at the Equal Justice Initiative tell the true, traumatizing story of racism and how our society has been shaped by our troubled past. My favorite civil rights activist is Martin Luther King, Jr. because he truly stood against the mistreatment of Black Americans. He remained motivated and persevered even while people plotted his downfall.

When I grow up, I want to be a Supreme Court justice. Lots of people say it’s not realistic and encourage me to just be a lawyer, but I’m determined to be a judge because I believe judges today don’t always think outside the box or consider how their actions will affect others.

My mom immigrated to America from Mexico about twenty years ago. I have learned many things from my family and culture. My hero is Elvia Carrrillo Puerto. She is a Mexican socialist politician and feminist. She worked hard to ensure Mexican women gained the right to vote.

I either want to be a doctor or an NBA player when I grow up. Saving lives has always been such a big goal of mine. Life is such a valuable thing, and everyone should be able to enjoy it. Bad things like war and gun violence happen all the time and being a doctor would help me save lives and not leave loved ones in despair.

When I grow up I want to become a neurosurgeon and traveling doctor because there’s lots of people dying from brain tumors. In poor countries in particular, people often don’t have the resources they deserve. As a traveling doctor, I’d try to fix that.

My favorite civil rights quote would have to be “You must never be fearful about what you are doing if it is right,” by Rosa Parks. This quote resonates with me because it reminds me to not be afraid of what I’m doing as long as it’s the right thing.

I was born and raised in Brooklyn, but my family is from Guatemala and Guyana. When I grow up, I want to be an astronaut so I can go to space and fix rockets. My favorite civil rights leader is Martin Luther King Jr because no matter how many times he was arrested or beat up, or even made fun of, he still fought for equal rights in the U.S. 

Just like Michael Jordan, I would like to play in NBA when I grow up. Martin Luther King also inspires me because he changed American society for the better, despite all of the white Americans who strongly disagreed with him and made it difficult for him to end segregation and promote peace.

I admire Giannis Antetokounmpo because he is a good basketball player and I like playing basketball. Furthermore, he’s Nigerian, like me. I am creative and love building things. When I grow up, I want to be an electrical engineer and architect.

My family and I are from Nigeria and are Muslim. Being Nigerian has taught me many things including how to cook special dishes and be a proper person in society. For example, my family has taught me the importance of discipline. I admire my sister. Being the oldest, she had to take care of my two brothers and me, especially when my mother was pregnant. I look up to my sister’s courage and perseverance.

I proudly identify as African American and Guyanese. When I grow up, I want to be a neurosurgeon because I want to help people live a better, healthier life. I want to help both patients and their families because I know what it feels like to have to worry about your loved ones being gone one day. 

My favorite civil rights figure is Martin Luther King, Jr. because he stood up for Black people during a time in which Black people faced racism. In school last year, I really enjoyed reading Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. This book is about somebody wrongfully convicted of a crime. At first, he did not have a lawyer, but then Stevenson stepped up and helped prove he was innocent.

I have many heroes. Some are people I know, but others don’t know me. My mom is my hero because she tries her hardest and makes time to spend time with my brother, sister, and me. My mom has built so many amazing memories for our family. My dad is also my hero. He always makes my siblings and me smile or laugh, even though sometimes he’s not trying to. I’ve never met Angela Bassett, but I also look up to her. She is a successful Black woman who inspires girls, especially girls of color, to do what they want and believe in life.