Why Am I Here?

When I was younger, my dad never wanted me to watch the news. He would tell me horror stories of how exaggerated and overwhelming it was. He would tell me that the news was out of our hands, and because he was slightly cynical of the government, he didn't really believe in anything either.

So I didn't. I didn't really watch the news at all until COVID-19, when watching the news was imperative to keeping those around me, and myself, safe. The pandemic started when my eighth-grade year was almost over, so jumping into high school with nothing else to do but virtual classes and easy homework allowed me to watch and read the news almost daily. Even though it made me really sad, I actually started to become drawn to the idea of reporting and sharing information with others.

I registered for an introduction to journalism class my freshman year, but when we began the transition to synchronous classes during my sophomore year is when my work towards becoming a journalist began.

I started writing strictly senior features and teacher features for about a year until I started gaining an interest in arts and culture. I lived quite close to a local museum, Reynolda House Museum of American Art, where they had limited-time art exhibitions featuring art from artists around the world. There were two exhibitions that I had the privilege of writing about: "Black is Beautiful" by Kwame Brathwaite and "Declaration and Resistance" by Stephen Towns.

Black is Beautiful exhibition being 

displayed at the Reynolda House
Museum of American Art.

 "Black is Beautiful" was a movement that began in the 1960s that Brathwaite helped popularize. His photography paved the way for the "Black is Beautiful" slogan, highlighting Black art and experience. As I was writing this article, I learned so much about my history that it solidified my interest in journalism: I wanted to highlight the parts of history and culture that don't often get the recognition they deserve, whether that be through art, interviews, or news.

Kilolo Luckett, Stephen Towns, and 
Dr. Paul Baker reflecting on Flora
and Lillie. 

In writing my article, "Looking Into Declaration and Resistance," I got to write a similar piece reflecting on the importance of African Americans' resilience, dedication, and perseverance in shaping the United States through paintings and story quilts.

The thing I love most about journalism is how much you learn from learning about others. Journalism is such a unique field, and the impact that I can create is one that not many careers get the opportunity to achieve. It's nerve-wracking, but really exciting and rewarding to know that my words can help shine a light on important issues and give a voice to those who might not be heard.