As Athletes for Hope (AFH) spent February celebrating the contributions and positive impacts of African American trailblazers, we partnered with our AFH University Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) athletic departments, asking high schoolers in their communities to share a story of an African American that has been an inspiration to them.
The outpouring of submissions from students was incredible. We are honored to share with you the story of the winner of our AFH Black History Month Essay Contest from Scotlandville Magnet High School.
Meet The Winner
The standout winner from the Southern University community was track & field state champion, Madyson.
On March 4, Madyson was recognized for her essay at the Southern University vs. Alabama A&M basketball game. While she was unable to attend due to a track meet, she was visited by AFH Program Manager, Kenya warren-Hollins, who congratulated her and awarded her with a Southern University swag pack, school supplies, and more!
Read Her Essay
Madyson
Black History Month Essay Topic: Shirley Clayton
Madyson’s essay was a beautiful tribute to her godmother, Shirley Clayton. An ExxonMobil chemist and Southern University alumni, Clayton continues to give back to the Baton Rouge community any chance she can.
She’s always willing to offer help to anyone in need and do anything even if it is small or big. As I continue blossoming into a woman I aspire to be just like my Godmother.
Madyson
To read Madyson’s Black History Month Essay, click here.
As Athletes for Hope (AFH) spent February celebrating the contributions and positive impacts of African American trailblazers, we partnered with our AFH University Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) athletic departments, asking high schoolers in their communities to share a story of an African American that has been an inspiration to them.
The outpouring of submissions from students was incredible. We are honored to share with you the stories of the winners of our AFH Black History Month Essay Contest from Bowie State- Prince George County.
Thank you to the American Psychiatric Association Foundation (APAF), the official supporter of the AFH Black History Month Essay Contest at Bowie State, for making this possible.
Contest Winners
We are thrilled to announce the winners of the AFH Black History Month Essay Contest in the Bowie State community are Aisha, Brianna, Jayda, and Salman.
On February 18, the winners from Prince George County were invited to the Bowie State vs. Lincoln (PA) basketball game where they met AFH University Campus Liasion, Kevona Jones, and two members of APAF. During the game, the winners were recognized for their contributions and were shown on the big screen for all to see.
Black History Month Contest Essays
Aisha
Black History Month Essay Topic: Jackie Robinson
Aisha’s essay was a powerful story on how MLB Legend and social justice activist Jackie Robinson fought to change the way the media viewed and represented African Americans.
But the most important thing that he did was more than the sum of his parts. It was more than a single occasion or a big change that he made in the world. The most important thing that Jackie Robinson did, beyond being himself, was fight sanitization of black legacies.
Aisha
To read Aisha’s Black History Month essay, click here.
Brianna
Black History Month Essay Topic: Harriet Tubman
Brianna’s essay was a beautiful tribute to the life and legacy of freedom fighter Harriet Tubman. After her escape out of slavery, Harriet made 13 missions to Maryland where she freed over 70 African Americans.
Her unwavering determination, courage, and commitment to justice and equality have inspired me to be a better person and work for a more just and equitable world.
Brianna
To read Brianna’s Black History Month essay, click here.
Jayda
Black History Month Essay Topic: Frances Ellen Watkins Parker
Jayda’s essay emphasized using your written words as power. Born free in Baltimore, Maryland, Francis Ellen Watkins Parker was a well-known abolitionist voice and published author in anti-slave journals.
If not for Parker’s bravery, I might not have been able to publish a story myself, and becoming an author at such a young age is what shaped me into the young woman I am today who still holds a passion for writing.
Black History Month Essay Topic: Frederick Douglass
Salman’s essay was a historical depiction of the life of the activist, author, public speaker, and leader of the abolitionist movement, Frederick Douglass.
[He] is very significant in history as well as an inspiration for all those past slaves who had been free through his activism towards slavery as well as being dedicated to abolishing it.
Athletes for Hope began over 16 years ago, founded by a group of elite athletes who all share a common bond – a deep commitment to helping others. Over the course of their lives, each of our Founders has dedicated significant time, energy and resources to varying charitable causes.
Among our Founding AFH Athlete greats are four Black athletes who have taken both the sports world and the charitable world by storm; each defining unique causes in their communities to give back to. Together they are the intersection between Black history and AFH history. These are the stories of Founders Muhammad Ali, Warrick Dunn, Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Alonzo Mourning.
Muhammad Ali
Professional Boxing
“Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.”
– Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali brought an unorthodox fighting style, unprecedented speed, and extraordinary grace to his sport, while his charm and wit forever changed the public’s expectations of a champion.
While his success as a boxer is widely respected, Muhammad’s greatest triumphs have taken place outside the ring – as a leader and champion of life. Through his humanitarian efforts, he has perhaps contributed more than any other athlete to make the world a better place. Recipient of the 1997 Arthur Ashe Courage Award and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005, Muhammad leaves a legacy that inspired millions of people all over the world.
While he passed in 2016, his legacy lives on through the Muhammad Ali Center in his birthplace of Louisville, KY where children and adults are inspired to learn and form new commitments in personal growth, integrity and respect for others.
If you are in the Louisville area, make sure to stop by the Muhammad Ali Center as they showcase new exhibitions, screen films, and host live conversations with Black creators. For more information on the Center’s Black History Month programming, please click here.
Warrick Dunn
National Football League (NFL)
“I can look in their eyes and see it. That’s the best feeling I can have. I know I didn’t effect their lives just today, but it carries on for years and years to come.”
-Warrick Dunn
NFL Pro Bowler and former running back Warrick Dunn no longer tallies rushing yards. Instead, he’s adding up the number of single parents he’s assisted around the Southeast.
Inspired by his mother Betty’s dream to own her own home and her untimely death when he was just 18 years old, Warrick founded Homes For The Holidays (HFTH) in 1997 during his rookie season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. To this day, HFTH partners with local organizations to provide home furnishings and down-payment assistance to single-parent families and has since expanded into three additional programs: Count On Your Future, SCULPT, and Hearts for Community Service Scholarships. All four of these programs are part of Warrick Dunn Charities.
Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Track & Field
“Give back in some way. Always be thoughtful to others.”
-Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Raised in East St. Louis, IL, sport has always been a refuge for Jackie Joyner-Kersee. The woman who once said that being an athlete is “a kind of grace” was able to overcome poverty, tragedy and discrimination to become a track and field world record-holder, 6-time Olympic medalist and one of the greatest athletes of all time.
With poise, passion and a desire to help families in the community she calls home, Jackie created the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center, which is now under a partnership with the East St. Louis School District, and the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation which works to ensure that every East St. Louis-area youth is given the opportunity to achieve greatness and succeed in academics, athletics and leadership.
Alzono Mourning
National Basketball Association (NBA)
“I feel that each and every one of us as individuals has a responsibility to one another. None of us would be here without the help of someone else – whether it be guardians, teachers, parents, relatives, etc. – someone contributed to your well-being as a person. We’re all connected in so many different ways.”
-Alonzo Mourning
At 6’10”, former NBA All-Star, NBA Champion and Olympic Gold medalist Alonzo “Zo” Mourning towers over most of his fellow humans. But Alonzo’s stature and accomplishments on the court haven’t stopped him from devoting his life to empowering others.
In all his efforts, Alonzo inspires kids in the South Florida area to become positive, contributing citizens in their community. He teaches them that they can do more than they might think possible. And every Thanksgiving, Alonzo personally delivers turkey dinners to hundreds of unsuspecting families, feeding stomachs as well as souls.
Our Founding AFH Athletes and their desire to make the world a better place is our driving force to educate, empower and inspire the next generation of athletes. We are proud to call Muhammad Ali, Warrick Dunn, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, and Alonzo Mourning our Founders and honored to share their legacies this Black History Month.
