My grandmother, Esther Turner, has impacted my life in more ways than just simply being there for me, as a grandmother. She’s much more than that, in my eyes. Being the eldest of three, I’ve always taken on more responsibility as the older sister. It was my job to show my little brother and sister which paths were safe to take in this wild, confusing maze called life. At times, I felt like a mother myself, and at a young age, I found myself slightly intimidated by all the responsibilities that were laid on my shoulders. The main person I could talk to freely and openly, without judgment, was my grandmother. We have always been able to speak to each other about any and everything, nothing was off limits. That’s what I think brought us so close, the fact that she accepted me entirely for the person I presented to her.
She wasn’t ever afraid of what other people thought of her, one of her most admirable traits. She simply does what she believes is best for her and truly brings the most meaning to what it means to live one’s life to the fullest. She disciplined us when necessary, loved us unconditionally, and taught us how to function in a society that was set up to make people of color fail. I cannot thank her enough.
When I speak with her, the flow is simple and pressure free. From boy trouble to problems I’m having at school, she allows an environment that is very open, something extremely rare nowadays. It’s almost like speaking to one of my girlfriends, versus
African American through her high education and writings, which led to a spark in civil rights.
had a wide-range perspective. She fought for what she believed in, never giving up, dying for her
Her courage and determination to break down barriers and promote racial equality made her a role model for future generations.
She had the courage to show women that they can be more than just a housewife. She went out and helped Lewis and Clark and she took care of her child at the same time. She was sick and kidnapped yet still managed to be a good person and change the world for women.
She was selfless and risked her life to save others. She survived through slavery, isolation, abuse and harsh racism. When there was a bump in the road, she drove around it. She had a great sense of direction and was very motivational. If one of the people that she was freeing got too tired and insisted that they couldn't go on, she convinced them that it was worth it to keep trying.
paved the way for religious freedom. She was a great leader in the cause for
After her death, it help jump start the civil rights movement .She the way the government preserved proseved black people. They saw sall that they were treated badly bad even if they were innocent, and it needed to change before it got worse.
She showed them that they could be equal. The only difference was the color of the skin. She taught them that that wasn’t even a big difference. She fought segregation her entire life.
and speak her mind of what she believed in. She faced challenges without fear, and was
I am an African American, male, Combat Veteran of the Gulf War who entered the world with a hug. My grandmother Louise Hurd, who we called Mama Lou, delivered me in the back room of her house, located in Los Angeles, California in a small community called Watts. Mama Lou had a warm soul and loved everyone; she had 12 children and 48 grandchildren. Sundays was the day of unity, we all met at her house, where my cousin and I would spend the entire afternoon playing. When it was time to leave, the remaining kids would run along side of the car waving. These first experiences in the importance of human relationships had a lasting effect on me, which is believed to have given me the ability to easily form
This is because of her ability to live her life the way she sees fit for herself. People naturally want to follow in her footsteps and make a difference in their lives just by hearing her great story. People respect her because of all the hardships she faced head on and worked through despite the circumstance not always being in her favor. People want to be like her because of her conviction, integrity, and values. When she decided at any point in her life to better herself or the world around her, she most likely never thought, ‘people will follow me and look up to me because of this action so I should do it.’
by everyone for what she did. Rosa Parks was proud and didn't care what people told her she did
Her childhood really made her who she is today even though she lost so many people in her life at a young age she never quit. Eleanor was a well respected women for how hard she worked to have people be equal. She wanted to fix the issues going on between blacks and whites and women and she helped pave the way. Eleanor never stopped working for what she believed in even when her husband got sick and she lost her own child. People still talk about Eleanor today and she was even nominated 3 times for a Nobel Peace Prize but never won. Eleanor Roosevelt was always a hard working women when she would plan something she would do it “It isn’t enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn’t enough to believe in it. One must work at it.” - Eleanor Roosevelt (Eleanor Roosevelt,
She makes sure that everyone around her is content in their day to day lives so that she can go on with her own. This shows me that even if I am minding my own business and not bothering anyone, I can always be more helpful to the community around me, and therefore, changing the public’s perception of me for the better. Emma learned from me how to not stress. Being in a similar familial situation as me, she was astounded to learn that I am acing my many rigorous academic courses, leading three clubs at my school, running my own community service program, and being completely involved in musical theatre. However, she was more shocked to learn that I was not pulling my hair out while proceeding through my day to day life as I have committed myself to many activities. I told her that the reason for this is because I live in the present, but keep the future in mind. By doing so, I enjoy my life and don’t have to worry about what the future entails all too much. She takes this information to live a more fluid, carefree life. She is someone who has changed my life, and has made my vision of the world more clear, and I will never forget
She raised her daughter to be respectful. “You never know where you might end up and who will get you there,” Gran said. Instilling this discipline in my mother, she intern instilled it in me and my other siblings. Therefore, because of my Gran Ma, I am where I am today.