Black History Month Student Interviews A Spotlight on Students Making a Difference in their Communities An Interview series with Liz Westphal
Kiara Buckner
Black History Month Interview Series Kiara Buckner A Spotlight on Students Making a Difference in their Communities An Interview series with Liz Westphal Q: How did you get involved with NVEEE? Kiara: "In April of 2013, I met the founder and executive director, Jowharah Sanders, at a Rotary Youth Leadership Academy. I was extremely inspired by her story and found it incredible to see a strong African American woman making a difference with a cause I felt I could relate to. From that experience, I decided to become a Peace Ambassador and was also selected to be a Junior Staffer at NVEEE’s 2014 and 2015 Peace Ambassador Leadership Summit.” Q: Have you ever seen or experienced bullying because of someone's ethnic background? Kiara: "Yes. Personally, I was never bullied by anyone outside of my ethnicity because of my race, but I have observed classmates that have been bullied for their cultural background. It is sad that people will bully others for something that is part of who they are, but you can't let labels define you." Q: Within the African American culture, have you seen or heard of bullying based on someone not fitting into a stereotype? Kiara: “Yes, I have. I have personal experience with this and have witnessed it. When I was younger, I was constantly picked on for acting 'white’, which in my peers’ minds, equated to me trying to be better than them or others. I would be called names like ‘oreo’ and ‘white girl’ by other people in my class, and I truly felt like something was wrong with the way I talked and the way I loved to learn. I like exposing myself to different academic and extracurricular activities, because they broaden my knowledge of life as a whole. I’m not trying to belittle anyone else. These comments made me feel out of touch with my own ethnicity; no matter how hard I tried to follow the norms I was ‘supposed to follow’, it didn’t feel natural to me. I wasn’t being true to myself. Nowadays, comments others make that put me down about acting the way I do, because they may not be a cultural norm of ours, don't phase me.” Q: Name something or someone that makes you proud to be a part of the African American culture. Kiara: "Something that makes me proud to be a part of the African American culture is the rich history. Despite how many times my people were discriminated against, they never ceased to keep striving for the rights they deserved. This inspires me to never let their dreams be forgotten. Additionally, my whole family makes me extremely proud to be a part of the African American culture. I have a very big family, and we are spread all along the East Coast. We have family reunions annually that are cyclically held in different states such as South Carolina, Georgia, New York, Florida, Washington, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. Each member of my family represents my heritage strongly. Despite the miles that separate us, we never lose our special bonds with one another. Whether it’s by visiting, calling or through social media, we never start all over as if we’re strangers. We remain ‘One Family of Love’, which is our motto. My family consists of many accomplished teachers, lawyers, nurses, preachers, entrepreneurs, and more. Each of them holds great qualities that I admire and relate to myself. My family represents the unity, love, courage, and determination that our entire culture embodies.”
Q: Why is Black History Month still important in 2015? Does your school do anything to commemorate it? Kiara: “Black History month is still important in the present day, because it allows us to reflect as a whole on our past, present and future endeavors. Civil rights’ leaders fought endlessly for us to have the freedoms we currently have. This month represents our progression in society, because in the past, many believed we weren’t deserving of a day - let alone twenty-eight days. Whereas some teachers may incorporate African American history into their curriculum, my direct program, Cambridge Academy, does not.” Q: What are some struggles you feel black youth still face today? Kiara: “Black youth today still struggle with, in some cases, obtaining respect from individuals and finding their place in society. Depending upon where they live, the potential for discrimination still exists simply because of the color of their skin.” Q: Are there any African American role models in your life or in history that have significantly impacted your life path or choices? Kiara: “Throughout life, I have watched the decisions of my parents, grandparents and other family members and why they decided to make those decisions. Their strong faith in God is the driving force in their lives, which has also impacted my walk in life and my personal beliefs.” Q: Name some aspects of African American culture you personally identify with that inspire you. Kiara: “In order to overcome the struggles of discrimination, our forefathers held a strong faith in God, believed in unity amongst the populace, and had compassion for others. Those three values - faith, unity, and compassion are three values that I strive for daily.”
“I would like to extend a special thank you to Kiara Buckner for participating in the first of our Black History Month interviews. She is truly an inspiration to people all colors and ages. She is currently serving as Secretary of our Youth Advisory Council and helping to plan PALS 2015; having Kiara as a part of NVEEE is a blessing. Thank you for all you do, Miss Kiara!” -Liz Westphal