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Personal Narrative: Growing Up In Southwest Atlanta

499 Words2 Pages

Growing up in southwest Atlanta, Georgia, I have been surrounded by ‘black success’ instead of just ‘success’ for the duration of my life. The blacks in my area are equally as successful, if not more accomplished than, the non-blacks, but we are always titled separately and put into a captive box. The box we are held in told young girls that they should aspire to be athletes, cosmetologists, or plain unemployed. The same box told young men that they could only be considered “somebody” if they were able to catch a ball well. These are occupations we would ‘best be suited for’; these are occupations that perpetuate the box. My dream since I was twelve years old has been to break down that box. I wanted to be known as ‘great’ and not just ‘great…for a black woman.’ At my school, Westlake High School, we have …show more content…

As the great mayor of Atlanta Reed has created a significant number of jobs, bringing Atlanta to rank number 2 in the nation for job growth, which resulted in exponential growth in the metro Atlanta populations. With the increase in numbers, Mayor Reed made it his mission to make Atlanta a thriving city by reinforcing rapid transit with the city’s first Streetcar in over 40 years, opening up another terminal to Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, the busiest in the world, and increasing sworn police officers to protect citizens. Kasim Reed, undoubtedly, faced numerous oppositions on his journey to the top. He was able to succeed because of his unwavering persistence and his dedication to the fruition of his dreams. Mayor Reed has inspired me to further my education and return to my hometown so I can contribute my knowledge and abilities back to the place that has given me so much. I am truly grateful to have grown up in Atlanta under the service of Kasim Reed and Mayor Reed’s diligence and enthusiasm will continue to inspire me and others like

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After I listened to Majora Carter 's passionate speech, I learn that we must work together as a community to improve the quality of our surrounding environment. Poor neighborhood often located near industrial factories or sewage system which correlated to the high percentages of obesity and asthma in these ares. According to Majora Carter, poor people not only poor but also unhealthy. Coming from a minority low-income family, Carter knows how it feel to live in polluted areas and she was brave enough to stand up and ask her community to help her make a different. After vacant lands in Bronx areas turned into parks and walk-able neighborhoods, people stopped alliterate, crime rate dropped because the streets were alive with people.

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In his recent State of the City Address on March 28th, Mayor Andre Dickens gave an impressive speech to the people of Atlanta. He used logos, ethos, and pathos to present his vision for a better Atlanta. Mayor Dickens appealed to the audience's sense of logic and reason, established his credibility as a leader committed to serving the people of Atlanta, and appealed to their emotions. He hoped to persuade the audience to join him in creating a brighter future for the city. Mayor Dickens used specific examples, statistics, personal anecdotes, and passionate language to present a compelling argument that resonated with the audience and inspired them to take action.

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The community I grew up in central Texas celebrated my heritage, honored differences in culture, and fostered personal growth and self-discovery. My parents, with the strong work ethic they developed on their family’s farms in Ghana, encouraged my brother and me to work hard and find ways to use our skills to be of service to others, which wasn’t hard to do growing up in Austin with its many avenues to become involved and take care of the community, whether it was helping to direct families through the Trail of Lights at Zilker Park during the winter or raise money for educational programs for underprivileged kids in the area through working the concession stands at the University of Texas at Austin. It was this collaborative mindset that Austin

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One night, during the cold winter, I walked along the side walk to reach the local store down the block. As I walked out, before I can realize it, I was dropping down onto the concrete while bullets swiftly passed me. I then began to run back home, but I wanted to keep running. Away from Chicago, away from the west side. Growing up in Chicago, it was easy to assume that there was nothing different beyond the blocks of my streets.

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My bags were completely packed for our upcoming trip to Charleston, South Carolina. I had been waiting for this seemingly perfect trip for the whole summer. When we arrived at our cabin, it was less than what we expected; much less. The private cottage was extremely outdated. When we first walked in, you could hear my mother shriek after she spotted a cockroach near the fireplace.

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The negative treatment and pain I received as a black girl, and still into my adulthood, it amazes me how I'm still standing tall and strong. It amazes me how people have tried to break me, even my own kind, but I'm still here. Truth is I gotta to have thick skin and protect myself, because I got no choice. If I don't... who will? And that is the everyday life of living as a black woman.

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