My name is Samuel Sogbein and I am in the eighth grade at Bed Stuy Collegiate. I am Nigerian. My favorite Nigerian food is the jollof rice and the fish with gizdodo, which is spicy plantains with gizzards, or bird stomach. My favorite book is the Percy Jackson series because I like books that have supernatural themes. I also like manga, which are a type of Japanese graphic novel. 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.

This fall I joined BK2BAMA, a program that brings eighth graders to Alabama and Georgia to student Black history and the Civil Rights Movement. I joined because I want to learn about African and African American history, but also study the ways activists have helped American improve. So far, I’ve loved learning about Ida B. Wells, a muckraker that exposed the horrors lynching. One of my favorite quotes, I learned in BK2BAMA. Marcus Aurelius said “Be tolerant with others and strict with yourself.” This reminds me to hold myself to high standards, but be patient and forgiving with other people. I can’t wait to visit Alabama and Georgia this spring so I can visit HBCUs like Morehouse and Tuskegee. I’m also excited to meet with the protesters who participated in the Civil Rights Movement.