My name is Shiara Jones, and I am currently in the eighth grade at Bedford Stuyvesant Collegiate. Many members of my family are from Jamaica. My family has taught me a lot about my Jamaican culture. For example, they taught me how to cook different types of foods, including rice and peas, jerk pork, curry goat, and curry chicken. My favorite books are the Attack on Titan series because I love stories with major plot twists and deeper meanings.

When I grow up, I want to be a therapist because I like to help others with their problems and make sure they always have someone to talk to. I would also like to be a baker because baking helps me relieve stress, and at this moment in life, I’m going through a lot because I am currently applying to high schools. I also want to be a baker because I like giving people treats that make their day a little 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.

I recently joined the program BK2BAMA, which strives to develop confident, knowledgeable young leaders by exposing them to the history of the Civil Rights Movement. BK2BAMA also engages us in the current efforts being made to create a more equal and tolerant America. I am especially excited to meet the Civil Rights Movement’s foot soldiers, who will help me feel like I was there marching in the 1960s. For example, we are going to meet Terry Collins, who worked with the Birmingham NAACP. I can’t wait to meet Mr. Collins because I want to know about the challenges he faced while protesting for justice. I’ve also studied W.E.B. Du Bois in school and am curious what Mr. Collins thinks about Du Bois, who founded the NAACP, and Booker T. Washington, who had a different point of view on challenging racism. In April, the BK2BAMA team will go to Alabama and Georgia to learn the truth about American history.