An Overlooked Hero

I would like to write about the often overlooked leader during the civil rights, Malcolm X.

Malcolm X was born on May 19 1925 in Omaha Nebraska under a different name, Malcolm Little. Malcolm Little's father was killed when he was still very young and his mother had to raise him and his siblings. Malcolm Little got involved with crime when we was young and ended up in jail soon after his teenage years. It was when he was jail that he discovered the Nation of Islam, a movement that combined aspects of Islam with black nationalism. Soon after he was released from jail he changed his last name from Little to X because he believed his name originated from white slave owners. He soon rose the ranks to become one of the prominent leaders of the movement. He would preach against white America in the harshest for its crimes against african americans. He advocated separation of black and white Americans. However his views started to change over time and only when he went on the muslim pilgrimage to Mecca did abandon the Nation of Islam views. Malcolm X disavowed racism and preached for the cooperation with other civil leaders, however he still believed in black self-determination and self defense.

Malcolm X soon broke from the Nation of Islam. He became a major human rights activist that caught the attention of many including Martin Luther King Jr. However on February 21 1965 while preparing for an address to a crowd he was shot and killed by members of the Nation of Islam. Thousands attended his funeral and only after the widespread release of his autobiography did his legacy truly ignite. He will forever be known as a courageous advocate for the right of African Americans and one of the most influential African American in history. He is credited with raising the self-esteem of black Americans and reconnecting them with their African heritage. I highly suggest everybody go out and read The Autobiography of Malcolm X which introduced me to this very brave hero and character.

A person who inspires me is William Bowen. He holds the world’s fastest lap time for the sport of inline speed skating. He inspires me because he faces many problems in life as the rest of us do, and is a normal guy, but he was able to become the fastest skater in the world. He is an average guy, who lays flooring and does odd jobs around his home in Greensboro, North Carolina. He also has an adorable 1 year old daughter whom he spends his free time with. Being on Team USA has given him the opportunities to travel to many countries and creating many memories. One year he broke his knee skating and had to have screws and pins put in. He inspires me because I’ve had a few foot surgeries where pins, plates, and screws were put in and I thought I would never be able to be as good at even just walking, but he never gave up when he messed up his knee. So, I didn’t give up either. I figured that since his injury was far worse than mine I should be able to get over it and work past the pain too. His views on this sport agree with my views and I value that also. He is the nicest person you could ever meet and is fun to hang out with, this year I was fortunate to meet him while at Regionals in Wisconsin. I admire the way he can help out with anything you need and give advise to both kids and adults. I doubt anyone will ever know who he is outside of the sport but if you could meet him, I would suggest it.

Britt Nicole

Britt Nicole. She is one of my favorite Christian singers. She grew up in church and she became a youth leader and on her way home from a church camp she went to with the youth to help out, she found out her purpose in life. She realized God wanted her to make a difference in people’s lives by telling them about Him and by singing. She has inspired me in many ways, through her songs, her name, and being a singer.

Some of her songs relate to my life and every time I listen to her, it makes me in a better mood. I was supposed to see her in concert but something came up and she couldn’t make it to Sonfest last year at Mount Vernon Nazarene University. Someday I will go to one of her concerts. Her name has become my nickname at church because I sing at church and so now people that don’t know it’s my nickname, think my middle name is Nicole when it’s actually Danielle. I’m also becoming a youth leader at my church and I help with the little kids’ praise and worship on Sunday mornings. Her songs inspire me to want to sing more. My favorite song that she sings would have to be “Headphones” because it’s uplifting and makes me in a better mood after I listen to it. Britt Nicole has been an inspiring person to me and I hope someday to meet her.

Bethany Hamilton has influenced my life in a very big way. Bethany has overcome goals no one thought she could, she had to endure the pain of a shark attack, finding a way to surf again, and overcoming the goals of how she looks different and some people would consider her handicapped. Bethany was 13 when she was attacked by a 14 foot tiger shark, leaving her with a severed arm and great majority of her blood gone. After a month of multiple surgeries, faith, hope, and a strong will she was back in the water doing what she was born to do… surf. She has overcome many feats, competing professionally, on the non-handicapped circuit, and becoming a worldwide icon. Her story has now been made into a movie called Soul Surfer, which made me bawl my eyes out from everything she went through.

With that said, she has a very similar story to mine. I used to ride horses competively and thought about going professional at one point. But my dream came to a screeching halt when one summer as I was running my horse around the barrels as roll of thunder out of nowhere rumbled and scared my horse making him come to a halt and bucked me off. I sprained my knee from hitting the saddle and pulled ligaments and muscles making me wear a brace all the time. I wore a brace for the next three months everyday keeping all the muscles and ligaments in place. I had to overcome the same feats Bethany Hamilton did… obviously not as massive as hers. But I had to learn to ride my horse differently just like she had to find a different way to ride her board. I still have pain sometimes but Bethany has influenced my life so much because I can relate to everything she went though.

Seven Pounds

My person of inspiration is Will Smith in the movie 'Seven Pounds.' In this movie Will Smith's character, Tim Thomas, gets in a horrible accident where he inevitably kills 7 people, including his fiance. Tim was very into his career as a Aerospace Engineer and he answered a text while he was driving, this ultimately caused the crash. Tim feels so guilty about what he has caused, as you can imagine. He then comes up with a plan to save the lives of 7 strangers. First he helps his brother, Ben, who is a IRS agent; Tim gives him one of his lung lobes, saving his life. He then donates a part of his liver to a Child Service Agent, a kidney to a junior hockey coach, and bone marrow to a little boy. He then steals his brothers credentials as an IRS agent in order to find people in need and deserving of a miracle. He gives his beach house to a victim of domestic violence named Connie, along with her 2 young children. He then meets Emily Posa, whom he eventually falls in love with. She has a terminal heart condition. Tim's plan was to kill himself and donate the rest of his remaining organs to certain people, including Ezra; a blind man who needs new eyes. Right as Tim kills himself, Rosa gets news that they have found a new heart for her.

I take inspiration from his ability to be so selfless after causing such pain to so many people, though unintentional. He has such passion for these strangers, and such remorse for the 7 he killed. He took a wrong doing and made it right as best as he could. Though this is a fictional story, I somehow strive to have as much heart as Tim did. I think back to the day I got my license, when it asks whether I'd like to become an organ donor. I remember checking the 'no' box and I cannot remember why I would do that. Being selfless is difficult. Since seeing this movie, I have become a more caring person, overall. I love this movie and I recommend you see it, if you haven't already.

Gerda Weissmann Klein

I find Gerda Weissman Klein to be a very inspirational person. As a fifteen year old, she was separated from her family during the Holocaust, and later found that they were all killed.

I had already bought her autobiography “All But My Life,” which I highly recommend, when I found out that we would be reading it for school. Before we started reading the book, Gerda visited our school. Prior to her arrival, we watched her HBO documentary, “One Survivor Remembers,” for which she won an Academy Award and an Emmy. (To see her Oscar acceptance speech, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zn-fPM4KS0 ) Once she had arrived at my school, I listened as a few students interviewed her. It is incredible that with all that she has gone through, she continues to actively work, telling her story so that we don’t forget. Instead of just living a quiet, relaxed life after her liberation, she passionately pursues her mission to educate the public about the Holocaust so that we remember what happened and its lesson isn’t lost. She inspires me to learn more about history, and to follow my goals. Gerda also makes me realize how lucky I am and how much I take for granted. As she often says, one of the most precious things in life is a boring evening at home with your family.

Gabrielle Giffords

I find the story of Gabrielle Giffords to be very inspiring. She is a member of the U.S house of representatives for the state of Arizona. In January of this year she was shot in the head by a gunman who ended up killing many that day. Her wound was very serious, and many wondered if she would even make it through it. She went through extensive rehabilitation, and made amazing progress. She is able to read, write, walk and talk again, things that many thought she would never do again. She has made a full recovery and appears to be doing very well now.

I think her will to make a full recovery and determination to not give up is an amazing thing. In that sittuation many people would just give up, but she didn't. Her strength is something I think many could look up to and be inspired by, as I have.