Black Role Models Inspire Students

Black History Month was created back in 1926 to acknowledge the contributions of African Americans from all periods of US history. To recognize this month, a few students have shared their role models.

For more than half a century, Ella Fitzgerald was the most popular female jazz singer in the United States. After doing a school assignment about her in third grade, senior Ferne Alvarez. This was when she discovered her passion for singing, and “whenever I would get stage fright, I would remind myself that if Ella can do it, I can do it.” Ferne’s love for Jazz comes from singing Ella’s songs religiously in her youth: “Her music has so much emotion behind it, and it gives me confidence.”

Before his tragic passing in 2020, NBA basketball player Kobe Bryant held five championship titles, 15 All-Star Game appearances, four All-Star Game MVP Awards, two NBA Finals MVP Awards, and a single regular-season MVP Award. Currently on varsity basketball, junior Lola Martin says that “Kobe has been one of my biggest inspirations for playing the game.” She looked up to him and watched him play on TV. Lola said that “I’d watch a lot of his clips and practice them.” She admired Kobe’s work ethic, drive, and motivation for the game.

Jackie Robinson broke the baseball color line when he started at first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947. Sophomore Andrew Bonfigli has looked up to Robinson since he got one of his baseball cards. Andrew admires Robinson’s passion for the game saying “Jackie truly loved the sport and let nothing come between that.” He has watched many of Robinson’s tapes and states, “He was an amazing overall player, super fast and persistent.” 

Sophomore Tiana Harris’s hero is her grandmother – “no matter what, she was always there and sacrificed a lot.” She and her grandmother do everything together, and every moment they spend together, there’s always something that makes her smile. Tiana’s grandmother is “very adventurous, funny, beautiful, intelligent, and hardworking.” One of her favorite memories with her grandmother is when they played Uno, and her Grandma would not let the game end until she won.