Glasgow Shares Their Inspiring Leaders for BHM
Marium Gulzar, a 6th grader at Glasgow, is inspired by Mae Jemison, an engineer, physician, and the first black woman to travel into space. Marium said, “I am inspired by Mae Jemison because she was the first black woman in space and she is a huge part of science. Also, she accomplished so much in her life.” Michael Do, another 6th grader at Glasgow, is also inspired by Mae Jemison because “She was able to accomplish many great feats in her life, becoming a doctor, astronaut, and leader of a peace corps.”
Another black leader that has risen to many challenges in recent times and inspired women across the country is Kamala Harris, the first female vice president of the United States. 7th grader, Naomi Teodros, shared, “She inspires me because she accomplished things no one has ever done before even when people are doubting her. The impact she has made on my life is that she inspires me to push harder and do things people think I can’t. She is important because she is the first Black/Asian female Vice-President of the United States.”
7th grader Mikayla Osborne is inspired by Rosa Parks, a famous civil rights activist, stating, “Rosa Parks invigorated the struggle for racial equality when she refused to give up her bus seat to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama. Parks’ arrest on December 1, 1955, launched the Montgomery Bus Boycott by 17,000 black citizens.” Another revered activist and civil rights leader Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first black president, inspires 7th grader Odessa Jansen because “Even when times were tough and things were looking bad he still pushed through even after being thrown in jail for 27 years.”
Bisma Aftab, an 8th grader at Glasgow is greatly influenced by Barack Obama, the first African American president of the United States, stating, “He inspires me because he has done a lot of things that were really helpful. He hasn’t really made a personal impact, but I know that things wouldn’t be the same without him. He is important because he is the first black president of the U.S and he had to deal with 9/11.” Along with an outstanding number of people, 8th graders Yonathan Abeje and Cady Ferrufino Salguero are inspired by Martin Luther King Jr., one of the most influential leaders in the civil rights movement. Cady shared, “This person inspires me to make a change when I feel like something isn’t right.” Along with Yonathan who feels that “with his powerful words he helped get the message across to people.”
Thank you to the many others that have shared their role models in Black History Month. Continue spreading your knowledge and take the time to learn about famous African American leaders, and also the important role of African Americans in history around the world. Glasgow students can follow in the example of these important leaders or lead their own path towards making influential changes in the world.
Brooke Ehmann - Jones (she/her), an 8th grader at Glasgow MS has been a writer for the Panther Post since the 2020 school year. She has lived in Northern Virginia all of her life and plays on a soccer team, loves playing music on her saxophone and the piano, enjoys reading, writing, cooking, and painting, and loves spending time outdoors on the many hikes she and her family have been on. Brooke is also very passionate about the environment and enjoys learning about nature, and volunteering to protect it. She has two cats at home, and loves traveling to national parks with her family.
