The Real World Celebrities section is about people who deserve to get appreciated and celebrated just as much as singers, actors, and models do. We also have a "Celebrity Celebrities" section, where you can get to know and see what actual celebrities do to make a difference in their world.
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Meet The Real World Celebrities
Who was Claudette Colvin?
By Nerea Blanco
In 1955, Claudette Colvin refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white woman. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? That’s because Rosa Parks did the same thing nearly a year later.
Claudette Colvin was just your average 15-year-old black student at Booker T. Washington High School. On March 2, 1955, Colvin was on a public city bus on her way home from school. She was sitting two seats down from the emergency exit in the “colored section” (the back) of the bus. Soon, the bus began to fill up and a white woman got on. The woman told Colvin to get up so she could sit, but Colvin refused.
“It’s my constitutional right!” she continuously exclaimed, even up to when she was escorted off the bus by police. Colvin was learning about the civil rights movement in school, and was inspired by this as well as watching the bus driver tell a pregnant black woman to stand up so a white person could sit.
“I felt like Sojourner Truth was pushing down on one shoulder and Harriet Tubman was pushing down on the other—saying, ‘'Sit down girl!’ I was glued to my seat,” she told Newsweek when she was asked about the incident.
Colvin was arrested on the charges of violating the city’s segregation laws and sat in jail for several hours. You can’t help but think of how terrified the 15-year-old must have been. To top it all off, the cops sexually harassed her about her bra size. She was finally released when her minister paid her bail, but went home scared out of her mind that there would be some retaliation from white people who witnessed or heard about the incident.
The NAACP was flooded with letters about this girl and her bravery. The one who read all these letters, the secretary of Montgomery’s NAACP, was Rosa Parks. Contrary to common knowledge, Rosa Parks was very much involved in the civil rights movement, and her refusal to surrender her seat to a white passenger wasn’t really a spur of the moment. Parks went to meet Claudette Colvin and they really connected. Colvin became more involved as a member of the NAACP Youth Council.
The members of the NAACP loved what Colvin did, but they were worried that the dark-skinned, 15-year-old girl would be seen by white people as rude and feisty. They wouldn’t be able to start a bus boycott with a “rebellious” teenager. The members eventually agreed that Rosa Parks, the light skinned, middle aged woman (who was seen as much less threatening) should do it. This is why we know of Rosa Parks as the face of the bus boycott.
Along with this, Colvin was also one of five plaintiffs in the court case Browder v. Gayle. This was the case that determined that bus segregation in Montgomery, Alabama was unconstitutional. Eventually, with the amount of support from American citizens everywhere, the country had no choice but to lift the segregation policies.
I chose to write about Claudette Colvin because she was a youth who got involved and stood up to fight for what she believed in. Two out of thirty people I asked had ever heard of her, and one of the two just knew her name sounded familiar. Not enough people know about what she did, how she helped to start the movement of integration. Not enough teens get involved in trying to stop social justice, or are even aware of the big issues with prejudice in society, which is why Claudette Colvin should be a prominent role model for us teenagers today. She wasn’t perfect, she made mistakes, but she came out on top, helping us create the more integrated society we live in today. But the job’s not over, there’s still work to be done so we can create an equal and just world to live in.
By Nerea Blanco
In 1955, Claudette Colvin refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white woman. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? That’s because Rosa Parks did the same thing nearly a year later.
Claudette Colvin was just your average 15-year-old black student at Booker T. Washington High School. On March 2, 1955, Colvin was on a public city bus on her way home from school. She was sitting two seats down from the emergency exit in the “colored section” (the back) of the bus. Soon, the bus began to fill up and a white woman got on. The woman told Colvin to get up so she could sit, but Colvin refused.
“It’s my constitutional right!” she continuously exclaimed, even up to when she was escorted off the bus by police. Colvin was learning about the civil rights movement in school, and was inspired by this as well as watching the bus driver tell a pregnant black woman to stand up so a white person could sit.
“I felt like Sojourner Truth was pushing down on one shoulder and Harriet Tubman was pushing down on the other—saying, ‘'Sit down girl!’ I was glued to my seat,” she told Newsweek when she was asked about the incident.
Colvin was arrested on the charges of violating the city’s segregation laws and sat in jail for several hours. You can’t help but think of how terrified the 15-year-old must have been. To top it all off, the cops sexually harassed her about her bra size. She was finally released when her minister paid her bail, but went home scared out of her mind that there would be some retaliation from white people who witnessed or heard about the incident.
The NAACP was flooded with letters about this girl and her bravery. The one who read all these letters, the secretary of Montgomery’s NAACP, was Rosa Parks. Contrary to common knowledge, Rosa Parks was very much involved in the civil rights movement, and her refusal to surrender her seat to a white passenger wasn’t really a spur of the moment. Parks went to meet Claudette Colvin and they really connected. Colvin became more involved as a member of the NAACP Youth Council.
The members of the NAACP loved what Colvin did, but they were worried that the dark-skinned, 15-year-old girl would be seen by white people as rude and feisty. They wouldn’t be able to start a bus boycott with a “rebellious” teenager. The members eventually agreed that Rosa Parks, the light skinned, middle aged woman (who was seen as much less threatening) should do it. This is why we know of Rosa Parks as the face of the bus boycott.
Along with this, Colvin was also one of five plaintiffs in the court case Browder v. Gayle. This was the case that determined that bus segregation in Montgomery, Alabama was unconstitutional. Eventually, with the amount of support from American citizens everywhere, the country had no choice but to lift the segregation policies.
I chose to write about Claudette Colvin because she was a youth who got involved and stood up to fight for what she believed in. Two out of thirty people I asked had ever heard of her, and one of the two just knew her name sounded familiar. Not enough people know about what she did, how she helped to start the movement of integration. Not enough teens get involved in trying to stop social justice, or are even aware of the big issues with prejudice in society, which is why Claudette Colvin should be a prominent role model for us teenagers today. She wasn’t perfect, she made mistakes, but she came out on top, helping us create the more integrated society we live in today. But the job’s not over, there’s still work to be done so we can create an equal and just world to live in.
Adalia Rose
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Adalia Rose is a six-year-old girl with a rare condition that gives her unwanted attention, but it also gives her a loving supportive fan base. She has over a million followers on facebook, and people have purchased over 1,000 copies of her children's book "A rosebudd quest with Adalia Rose." It explains her condition and helps people to understand and have kindness towards her, and others who are also suffering from this illness.
Adalia Rose spreads awareness about her condition, which is a rare genetic disorder called progeria. Adalia Rose is a true celebrity that should be appreciated for being so young and helping others with this condition love themselves as well. "I think this girl is absolutely beautiful. If you don't think so you're blind." - Via twitter @againstsuicide |
Liz Murray
"The fork in the road happens over a hundred times a day, and it's the choices that you make that will determine the shape of your life."
-Liz Murray |
Liz Murray became homeless at the age of 15. It was just after her mother had passed away from HIV, and her father had moved into a homeless shelter. Liz had been through hard times. She has seen a better reality for herself as time went on. So she attended a local high school and graduated after only two years, when the usual number of years in high school is four. She then was awarded a New York Times scholarship for needy students, which led up to Liz getting accepted into Harvard University.
She has written a New York Times best selling memoir called “Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard” which was also a made-for-TV movie on Lifetime. I watched the TV movie and it was surprising to see somebody who hung around the wrong crowd as times got tough then realizied that putting her life first was most important. As she grew to be smarter and not letting bumps in the road get to her she got accepted into one of the biggest universities there are. Liz also attended teenage discussion's speaking about never giving up on yourself and encouraging students to keep their heads up. Liz inspires me personally because she didn’t let her circumstances dictate her future. Instead, she chose her own destiny and manifested it, despite overwhelming obstacles. |
Gloria Steinem
"Law and justice are not always the same. When they aren't, destroying the law may be the first step toward changing it."
- Gloria Steinem |
Gloria Steinem is an American feminist, journalist, and political activist. Steinem does so much for us women she is a true inspiration, to every one she's a true feminist, and she deserves to be spoken about always she does so much for women and just empowerment.
I agree with everything she does and says. Her book I read only a little bit of but it spoke so much to me, my creative Writing teacher Ms. Englart spoke of her to me and I'm so glad she did it spoke to my mind, and I love the fact that she introduced me to this book and to Gloria Steinem. Gloria has been a outspoken women for the liberation movement 1960's and 1970's. She has been fighting for women's right for a very long period of time. She's a role model somebody you should look up too especially as a women. She continues to make a difference, she holds speeches, and does interviews. Steinem is currently having tours for 2016, you can purchase tickets here: http://www.concertboom.com/gloria-steinem/tour-dates/ |
Celebrity Celebrities Section!
Demi Lovato
I have come to realize that just making yourself happy is most important. Never be ashamed of what you feel.
You have the right to feel any emotion that you want, and to do what makes you happy. That's my life motto." -Demi Lovato |
Demi Lovato is an singer and an actress.
With many of her accomplishments, Demi is devoted to giving back. By talking about her personal experiences. Demi used to self harm, she also had a eating disorder. 'There were times I felt so anxious, almost like I was crawling out of my skin – that if I didn’t do something physical to match the way I felt inside, I would explode. 'I cut myself to take my mind off that. I just didn’t care what happened. I had no fear.' Says Demi Lovato. Demi Lovato is inspiration, through her music, young girls around the world going through a hard, tough time in their lives and trying to find a way out of their depression. She Spoke out against bullying and other serious issues. She is an official Ambassador for the youth empowerment event, "We Day" and the organization "Free the Children;" it works internationally to inspire young people to remove any bad thing that is in the way of their happiness. |
Beyoncé Knowles
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Beyoncé Knowles has a charity titled #BeyGOOD.
Beyoncé had a trip in May 2015 to Haiti, she had visited Saint Damien Pediatric Hospital in Tabarre. St. Damien had high quality treatment and medical treatments for disadvantaged and sick children in Haiti. Many people know diseases in Haiti spread very quickly. Sadly the hospital had lost their funding. She then made Bey Good t-shirts to raise money, every purchase of a shirt goes to the campaign to get the hospital back to help children who really needs it. It was important to Beyoncé to always give back. Beyoncé had reached the goal of selling the t-shirts. The goal was 4148 t-shirts to sell, and the amount sold were 5669. Beyoncé was very happy about achieving this goal for children who really needed it. The organization is still up and running. Beyoncé still visits the hospital, children and Haiti in general. She also continues to donate money. She is continuing to help and never plans on stopping. Visit Beyoncé’s #BeyGOOD site now! http://www.beyonce.com/beygood/ |
Lady Gaga
"Don't you ever let a soul in the world tell you that you can't be exactly who you are."
- Lady Gaga |
Lady Gaga isn't a person people usually think of when they think of people who help others. People judge her because of her creative style and her catchy music. But what they don't know is that she has a heart of gold.
Gaga has a foundation called Born This Way that was named after her second studio album Born This way. The organization was established at Harvard University. The foundation's goals are to inspire youth and build better communities. Born This Way strives to create a kind and brave world for the youth. It also gives opportunities to be in a safe place. Teenagers are left homeless when going though situations. Poverty is at it's highest nowadays. Another thing is it promotes learning life skills, and also provides opportunities to improve their local communities. Lady Gaga had personal problems when she was young. She had low confidence and didn't love herself as she should. As she grew into this inspirational pop sensation, she knew it was important to share her story, and give the youth the confidence they need. Gaga suffered from depression and anxiety her whole life she doesn't want this for others. Gaga is devoted to giving the youth a happy childhood something she didn't have. Visit the official site here: https://bornthisway.foundation/ |
Justin Bieber |
"Everyday we wake up is another blessing. Follow your dreams and don't let anyone stop you. Never say Never."
- Justin Bieber |
Justin Bieber is a singer and actor. Most of all he is somebody who is devoted to giving back to children. He does a lot just to help people. He was apart of the recording "We are the world 25" in 2010. Which was a big success and made a lot of children feel loved. Justin's album "Under the Mistletoe" the proceeds went to charity. Justin supported over 21 charities and foundations. Some of them were ALS association, City of hope, DoSomethingh.org, and Pencils of Promise.
Bieber was actually the first celebrity to ever grant 200 wishes in August 2013 through the Make-A-Wish foundation, it was a brand new record for the organization. The picture on the left shows Justin making young Annalysha wishes come true, which was to meet the heartthrob Justin Bieber, and purpose to him. Justin accepted the sweet proposal. Unfortunately Annalysha suffers from a life threatening liver condition. Till this day she is still alive and happy. Justin still gives back to charities. He loves to help the world, and innocent children who need the help. His bio on Instagram says "Help Change the World." Even though lately Justin's busy life been on the rocks, he doesn't forget about people who need his help most. He is an inspiration. |
Taylor Swift
“No matter what happens in life, be good to people. Being good to people is a wonderful legacy to leave behind.”
- Taylor Swift |
Taylor Swift Education Center is an amazing space located in Nashville at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. It was built for people to have an exciting learning environment related to country music. There are three classrooms, a video conference lab, an interactive gallery, and more. This program is free during Museum Hours.
This is an amazing opportunity for people all around. Taylor Swift education center is also museums award winning educational program of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. This includes curriculum-connected activities for any of school groups wanting to attend. Also is has after school workshops for teenagers, programs for toddlers, and book talks for adults, who would like to experience Taylor Swift Education center as well. A fun fact about Taylor Swift is that she was named "Most charitable star" four years in a row by dosomething.org. She donated all of the proceeds, not some, from sales of her single "Welcome to New York." to New York City public schools. |
Eva Peron
"I demanded more rights for women because I know what women had to put up with."
-Eva Peron |
Eva Peron, born on May 7, 1919, died on July 26, 1952 at the age of 33. She married a man named Juan Peron who eventually became president of Argentina in 1945. Eva Peron was, of course, the first Lady of Argentina. She used her position as first lady to fight for women's suffrage and also to ameliorate the lives of the poor.
Eva Peron became a legendary figure in Argentina politics. Peron was loved by many of the poor people she helped. She worked very hard to help as many women and people as she needed to. Unfortunately, she died of cervical cancer. Her legacy still lives on; Peron’s life continues to fascinate people around the world. |
Marlene Dietrich
"I dress for the image. Not for myself, not for the public, not for fashion, not for men."
- Marlene Dietrich |
Marlene Dietrich's efforts were not towards women’s rights, but she took a very strong fashion stance for women. Dietrich, a Hollywood actress, actually wore trousers and men’s suits in the 1930s. She did this during a time when it was considered exceptionally discreditable, because it was taboo for women to dress like men. She wore things ties, button up shirts, and pants on screen and privately as well. Dietrich was almost arrested for wearing pants in the 1930’s. She said, “I dress for the image. Not for myself, not for the public, not for fashion, not for men.” She made a stance for women to be themselves and to appear powerful. She made a stance for not letting anyone guide where you have to go with your fashion sense.
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bell hooks
"Feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation and oppression."
-bell hooks |
bell hooks is an American author, who is known mostly for her social activism. Her work is focused mainly on oppression, race, and most importantly, women's rights. One of her most popular books is Ain't I a women? Black Women and Feminism. I think to focus on Black women and Feminism is an important thing because a lot of people have problems with African American women doing things us women should feel free to do in terms of the way they dress, how they speak and the way they live. bell hooks is an inspiration not only to all women, but especially African American women.
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