My name is Joahan Malaga. I’m of Mexican and Ecuadorian descent, and really like playing football (or soccer). I look up to Loinel Messi because he inspires me to play the best I can.

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.

Right now, I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up, but as I get older, I will find out. I do know I love exploring new places and discovering new things. For this reason, I recently joined BK2BAMA.

BK2BAMA is a program that takes students to Alabama and Georgia for a week in April to learn new things and specifically study Black history and the Civil Rights Movement. I’m excited to visit Alabama and Georgia because I’ve never been there, and I especially can’t wait to meet with veterans of the Civil Rights Movement and learn about the racism Black people faced in the Jim Crow Era. I feel bad for these people who faced horrible challenges and am curious to hear how they overcame them.