In 2009, stories that shaped the images of black women ran the gamut. From the awe-inspiring to the unbelievable, from ridiculous to riveting here are a dozen stories that definitely got our attention. So without further adieu here’s our countdown:
#10: A Black Girl’s Letter to The President (aka Ty’Sheoma Bethea: The Letter That Impacted A Nation) February 25, 2009
Watching our President explain what our country needs to get out of current economic state last night only made it clear to me how right Barack Obama is for our country at this time. But my heart skipped a beat a little when he told the story of Ty’Sheoma Bethea, a 14-year-old junior high school student from Dillon, South Carolina. Ty’Sheoma showed the nation (heck, the world) the indomitable spirit of a black girl. We press on when others think we should stop.
If you didn’t get a chance to hear the speech, here’s what President Obama had to say about this young lady:
And I think about Ty-Sheoma Bethea, the young girl from that school I visited in Dillon, S.C. — a place where the ceilings leak, the paint peels off the walls, and they have to stop teaching six times a day because the train barrels by their classroom. She has been told that her school is hopeless, but the other day after class she went to the public library and typed up a letter to the people sitting in this room. She even asked her principal for the money to buy a stamp. The letter asks us for help, and says, “We are just students trying to become lawyers, doctors, congressmen like yourself and one day president, so we can make a change to not just the state of South Carolina but also the world. We are not quitters.”
But Ty’Sheoma also wanted to make sure that everyone knew that although her school had not been given the resources, they were eager to show everyone how smart, capable and ready they were to take advantage of the help if they received it. In addition to being determined, this young lady has pride and passion for her cause.
Ty’Sheoma wrote. “We finally want to prove to the world that we have an chance in life just like other schools and we can feel good about what we are doing because of the conditions we are in now we can not succeed in anything.”
What made this all so real was seeing Ty’Sheoma, dressed in her Sunday best (hair pressed and shining) seated next to our gracious First Lady, Michelle Obama in her special box in the mezzanine. When the President told Ty’Sheoma’s story, our First Lady gently urged her to stand. Then she embraced her as the members of the audience gave her a rousing applause. Then the camera panned to the left and we could Ty’Sheoma’s mother who wrapped her arms around her daughter as well, clearly proud but also probably in awe of the moment. Ty’Sheoma beamed with a light so powerful that it could have lit the whole room. Perhaps Ty’Sheoma’s passion, pride and determination will become contagious. Do your part and tell a young sister what she’s done.
Why? Ty’Sheoma Bethea is proof positive that a black girl can make a difference in the world. We are not invisible and we need not be silent.
UPDATE: South Carolina Governor may have talked attempted to dash young Ty-Sheoma’s hopes by rejecting stimulus dollars for his state but other people chipped in to make sure that the students at JV Martin Middle School got what they needed. Kris Broughton’s blog reported on the school’s makeover.
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