Bold Equality Scholarship

From my earliest memory of tree climbing with friends, I have always been a proponent for diversity. I maintain a general curiosity never limited to a lens of race and culture. I love discovering lifestyles, traditions, hobbies, interests, and quirks that make people individuals. This passion has graced my life with innumerable intriguing conversations with both people I know well and those simply passing through my path. Supporting and embracing equality and diversity has become a personal journey for me. A Black American youth, my interest in US, Caribbean, and African Black cultures and history has peaked. From this foundation, I eagerly explore other cultures, understanding similarities and variations. I cook multicultural dishes with my family, discovering uses and significance of various ingredients. My personal love of languages fuels five-and-counting years of Spanish studies. I work through French, Swahili, and Hindi, with many other languages and countries on my futures list. These investigations, although intriguing and valuable, serve as avenues for connection to others. I refuse to make anyone around me feel misunderstood. Taking greater strides to convert these beliefs into action, I collaborated with teachers to lead our campus' first Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration. Despite doubt from several, 180 families came. I was overwhelmed with the unity and appreciation as I watched people of all ages listen to poetry and join dances around volunteers proudly representing their roots. Months later, we broke through again with the first Black History Celebration. Students and their families shined with the understanding that their voices matter and their cultures are significant. Since then, several students have approached with their own cultural traditions, hoping for similar programs in the years to come. I will continue expanding these stories into an International Cultural Exposition. I intend to advocate for diversity and equality throughout my life.

Sweat drenched off everyone’s bodies as it was 8:30 pm, and we’ve been marching since 6:00 pm. Everyone is marching all through downtown, holding signs as black as charcoal pierced with names of innocent people. About 100 people surround me, yet I feel like I know all of them. As I walk through the crowd, I see an abundance of different kinds of people; Some were probably doing this same thing in the ’60s, others probably can’t cross the street by themselves, some white, some black, some poor, and some rich. I was surrounded by American citizens that were trembling in fear that we soon may be the next name on one of the signs we were holding. I never felt so connected to people in my life before that day; I realized I want to do more to feel that way all the time. I think all the time about how people are hurting and what I can do to help. I now try to attend as many protests as possible and continuously spread awareness on my social media. I watched as the people who protect and serve throw tear gas and rubber bullets at citizens that only had face masks and water bottles. I knew that as police, they were trained for that exact moment. Little did I know my mom, cousin, and I were trained due to our skin stained in brown. I see that even though we were the ones unarmed, our blackness was the weapon they feared. I will fight for change. That day I thought I was protesting for one person, little did I know I was fighting for everyone else that looks like me, which is why I won’t stop.