WARRIOR AND THE AMERICA THAT CREATED ME: From the eyes of James Meredith
by Mikayla Smith

We are all purposed for a unique assignment from birth
although we may not know the way
Many are called
but few are able stand up to the challenges we face.
Fear and uncertainty overcome many, resulting in too many destinations erased
And then change becomes only a character in a fictional play
Playing over and over in our heads
Never being brought into fruition
Never seeing the light of day
But there are some who are worthy of their plight
With odds against me
And the double barrel shotgun of segregation and discrimination
Placed against my head
I still chose to fight
I fought for an unheard, unseen people
Hidden under the mighty hand of white supremacy
A Rebel I became to fight against the conventions of a misconstrued society
A society who mistakenly believed that I wasn’t good enough or worthy enough
Because of the color my skin
So I stood against the defiance of a government and education system
Determined to get my “two-cents” in
Because contrary to popular belief
People that looked like me had more than what It took
To be all they could be
and stopped being overlooked.
So I fought the good fight
Pushing pass the unknown end
For this was a Warrior’s battle
And America left me no choice but to stand.
Choices by Chelsea Smith
What do I want to do when I grow up?
Where do I want to be?
What college will I decide to go to or how many degrees?
You see, it’s left entirely up to me.
No more black bathrooms or white bathrooms
No more black or white schools
No more limits on what I can do
Because of the courageous path that others took
for people that looks like me and you
People who stood up to discrimination and bigotry
People like James Meredith who Marched Against Fear
And who could have lost his life for the freedoms
That now belongs to you and me
So we thank you for a job well done
For you deserve the upmost praise
Because whenever you see black men and women who cross the stage
Just know that we understand and appreciate the path you took
And that this is the path you have laid.

Tribute poem in honor of James Howard Meredith’s 90th birthday