What Do Modern Day Black Role Models Look Like?

During my junior year of high school I was challenged with the task of diving deep into this topic for one of my college essays. More often than not, whenever people of my generation list African American role models in the 21st century, we are seemingly always limited to the entertainment industry. In the following essay, I respond to the listed prompt with my viewpoint on this topic.

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For context purposes, I specifically applied to the University of Chicago Summer Enrichment Program for high schoolers named Woodson Summer Scholars. ("This Named in honor of Carter G Woodson, the Woodson Summer Scholars program brings together talented students across the United States who are engaged in Black/African American communities.")

Prompt: Why did you choose the particular program/courses for which you have applied? How are they related to your current interests and future plans? Please be as specific as possible, and make sure your response covers each of the courses you elected. (Limit: 500 words)

Response: African American culture has a rich and complex history in the United States. From the journey of African slaves to the modern day, African Americans have faced immense struggles, yet have persevered in the face of adversity. Courage and strength have enabled generations of African Americans to create a vibrant and unique culture that stands out among other cultures in America. However, it seems as if young African Americans of the modern day have now lost a piece of the original culture. Rather than striving for careers in activism, mathematics, and entrepreneurship, the majority of African American pioneers of today are seemingly limited to the entertainment industry, such as becoming a professional athlete, music artist, or actor. This choice of profession may be ideal for some, but it can be deceptive for the youth of African American cultures. Young and curious children will always look for representation of people that look like themselves. Whether consciously or subconsciously, many young kids form their first dreams and aspirations from people that share the same physical traits as them. This has led to an overwhelming amount of young African American children to dream of only becoming an entertainer. The dream itself is pure, but the reality of it can be deceptive. Unfortunately, there is an extremely small number of people that actually make it to the professional level of an entertainer. It is estimated that out of 500,000 current high school basketball players in the U.S alone, only 6% of them make it to the college level (scholarshipstats.com). And past college, only 60 players get drafted into the NBA each year. This alarming statistic should be a wake-up call for African Americans to explore all possible fields of professions, instead of only limiting themselves to becoming entertainers. Therefore, I am determined to become a role model for future generations of my people by actively engaging in my community. As the president of an African American diversity club in my community, we are trying to introduce more and more African American students to a wide variety of academic opportunities by hosting SAT prep and career building workshops. Additionally, I have decided that I will become a pioneer in the entrepreneur and STEM fields, not only for the benefit of improving my personal life, but more importantly to give the future generation of African Americans a sign of inspiration. A sign that lets them believe that the color of their skin has the power to accomplish much more than just being an actor, athlete, or a rapper. A sign that fills their hearts with courage and hope. A sign that fuels them with the ambition to achieve anything that they truly desire.