Barack Obama

Barack Hussein Obama ll, born Aug. 4, 1961 out of Honolulu, Hawaii, served as the United States’ 44th president. He served two full terms with his wife Michelle and two daughters Malia and Sasha Obama.

Obama attended Columbia University graduating in 1983 just to turn around in 1988 and enroll in Harvard Law School. After graduating, Obama became a civil rights attorney and an academic, teaching constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004. He represented the 13th district for three terms in the Illinois Senate.

Obama had a pretty wildly successful life already in terms of law and business. Obama’s success and popularity then grew exponentially when he was nominated as president in November of 2008.

He started on Jan. 20, 2009, nine months after he was named the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize Winner. During his first two years, he passed numerous amounts of laws, while also creating “Obama Care”, which assisted people who desired protection and health care at affordable prices.

After winning the second election, he was sworn into office in 2013. During his second term, he also provided inclusiveness for LGBT people. Barack took stands to legalize same-sex marriage even though it was frowned upon. He also took into consideration gun control. It became quite obvious that he cared for his country and everyone in it.

Obama tried his hardest to do what’s best for the people of his country and he truly cared about the people’s opinions.If you’re walking down the right path and you’re willing to keep walking, eventually you’ll make progress.

“Our destiny is not written for us, but by us.”

– President Barack Obama

Ruby Bridges 

Born on Sept. 8, 1954 in Tylertown, Miss., Ruby Bridges became the first African American student to attend an originally segregated elementary school in the South. At only the age of six years old, Bridges became one of America’s most influential symbols of the civil rights movement.

The monumental court case of Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka Kansas ruled racial segregation in public schools to be illegal in 1954, but even after the decision being made, African American students were required to pass an entrance exam to attend white schools. Bridges, along with five others, did just so.

This part in Bridges’ journey to fight for equality came with its highs and lows. Beginning a new school in general can already be extremely stressful, but when you’re the first black student to attend an all-white school, then it takes stress to another level.

Bridges’ father was hesitant in letting his daughter attend the school as he feared for his daughter’s safety and knew of the potential threats that could follow based on the town’s racist tendencies. Her mother, on the other-hand, supported the idea and wanted her to be able to receive the education that they (African Americans) were once denied.

Bridges’ first day came with exactly what her father feared: racist crowds screaming awful slurs at her and even a woman holding a black baby doll in a coffin. Despite having to face such horrendous people, Bridges continued to go to school everyday.

Mrs. Barbara Henry accepted Bridges into her classroom and began to teach her like she was any other student. Many parents began to withdrawal their children from the school, but this did nothing but encourage Bridges to continue to thrive and gain an education that African Americans in the United States previously were not provided access to.

Bridges’ brave actions impacted the black community in a way no one at the time could ever imagine. Other black children began to attend public schools and although this came with countless accounts of harassment and discrimination, they continued to fight for what was right. They fought for the equality that they had sought out for.

Without Bridges’ endeavor, society would not be where it is today. Although there are still many flaws, the public school system and other countless positions have never been more diverse and so close to gaining equality for all. There is much more fighting to be done, but without Bridges, the U.S. would be nowhere close to where it is today at winning the fight.

“My message is really that racism has no place in the hearts and minds of our children.”

– Ruby Bridges

Mike Tyson

Michael Gerard Tyson was born on June 30, 1966. Tyson was one of the best boxers to ever step foot in the ring. Tyson had a record of 50-6.

Tyson grew up in the poverty-stricken side of Baltimore. Tyson would often be in and out of trouble until he was 15. This is when he went to juvie, also  where he would find his foundation of boxing with the legendary boxing coach, Cus D’amato.

Tyson then began his boxing career at the age of 18. He took the world by storm knocking the people with his signature left landing shots after shots, winning by knockouts 44 times out of his 50 wins. Tyson grew up fast after Cus D’amato died.

The boxer’s career went downhill as he signed Don King to be his manager. King was more focused on the money rather than Tyson. Tyson hit the deck on Feb. 11, 1990 against Buster Douglas. After this fight, Tyson would lose five more times.

Mike Tyson captured America in the early nineties and went down as one of the best fighters ever to step foot into the ring.

“My style is impetuous, my defense is impregnable, and i’m just ferocious. I want your heart.”

– Mike Tyson