My name is Ashira Coppin and I’m a hard-working thirteen-year-old eighth grader at Bedford Stuyvesant Collegiate Charter School striving to make my own future and give others a good chance at their own. I hold love my family, friends, and books! The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is one of my favorite books because it’s an inspiring, captivating story about the 1920s, the American Dream, wealth, and love. It has taught me a lot about values and staying true to yourself. 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.

Speaking of feminism, my favorite quote is from the movie Barbie, which helped me recognize America’s hypocrisy when it comes to gender stereotypes and roles. As Gloria says:

“It’s literally impossible to be a woman. You are so beautiful, and so smart, and it kills me that you don’t think you’re good enough. Like, we have always been extraordinary, but somehow we’re always doing it wrong. You have to be thin, but not too thin. And you can never say you want to be thin. You have to say you want to be healthy, but also you have to be thin. You have to have money, but you can’t ask for money because that’s crass. You have to be a boss, but you can’t be mean. You have to lead, but you can’t squash other people’s ideas. You’re supposed to love being a mother, but don’t talk about your kids all the damn time. You have to be a career woman but also always be looking out for other people. You have to answer for men’s bad behavior, which is insane, but if you point that out, you’re accused of complaining. You’re supposed to stay pretty for men, but not so pretty that you tempt them too much or that you threaten other women because you’re supposed to be a part of the sisterhood.”

This quote is empowering because it reveals how society expects women to live up to unrealistic beauty standards. It reminds me I’m capable of anything I want and that I don’t have to be someone else to succeed.

This fall I joined BK2BAMA, a program that helps young people study Black history through hands-on learning experiences, including a trip to Alabama and Georgia over April break. I’m most excited about visiting the Birmingham neighborhood Angela Davis grew up in because she’s one of my heroes. I also can’t wait to take a plane because it’ll be my first time. I think BK2BAMA will help me share my voice. In the months leading up to the trip, we go field trips around New York City to learn more about American history. For example, we’ve already visited the Brooklyn Museum and are going on a walking tour with the Black Gotham Experience this weekend. I joined BK2BAMA because it gives students like me the opportunity to learn more about my ancestors and history that I wouldn’t otherwise be aware of. Everyone should be open to learning about American history and the reality of life, even when it’s sad or upsetting.