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SENIOR leadership projects go here!  ===== ** // __  The Leader Barack Obama   __ // ** The President Barack Obama has many important qualities that I believe makes him a very influential leader. Barack was born on August 4, 1961 in Hawaii. Barack’s father is of Kenyan descent, and his mother is a Caucasian woman from Kansas. His father left Hawaii when he was two and he was partial raised by his grandparents of his maternal side. His grandfather served in the Patton’s Army and his grandmother worked at a bank. Later in his life Obama worked hard enough to move to Chicago, to attend college and help the communities with charity work. Obama went on to be the senator of Chicago and ran for presidency in 2008. He is now married, with two daughters. Obama grew up in the 60’s decade. This decade is full of change and diversity. Most of the television show context was about morals and values of that time period in society. The Pearl Harbor attack had a major influence. The news stations and the United States were concerned with nuclear bombing threats. Government officials advised Americans to be cautious and build bomb shelters to be protected. There many problems with the war most are American citizens walked around with fear because they didn’t know what to expect from Vietnam. After President John F. Kennedy was assassinated the 60’s was a decade of turmoil. Vice President John B. Lyndon became president afterwards. There was a shortage of troops for the war, so a draft had been assembled. College students protested this draft by organizing anti-war and many people fled. The U.S. as a whole became anti-war. There were many social and racial injustice issues during the 60’s. There would be African Americans boycotting public restaurants and creating organizations to support them. Americans watched on television as African Americans were sprayed by hoses and attacked by police dogs during protests. “ Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, guaranteeing basic civil rights for all Americans, regardless of race, after nearly a decade of nonviolent protests and marches, ranging from the 1955-1956 Montgomery bus boycotts to the student-led sit-ins of the 1960s to the huge March on Washington in 1963.”-    []. “The Civil Rights movement made great changes in society in the 1960's. The movement began peacefully, with Martin Luther King and Stokely Carmichael leading sit-ins and peaceful protests, joined by whites, particularly Jews. Malcolm X preached about Black Nationalism. After his assassination, the Black Panthers were formed to continue his mission. In 1965, the Watts riots broke out in Los Angeles. The term "blacks" became socially acceptable, replacing "Negroes." -http://kclibrary.lonestar.edu/decade60.html When Obama was younger he talks about how his parent’s biracial marriage affected him. He states in his autobiography “And yet it wasn’t until 1967—year I celebrated my sixth birthday and Jimi Hendrix performed at Monterey, three years after Dr. King received the Nobel Peace Prize, a time when America had already begun to weary of black demands for equality, the problem of discrimination…Their very image together would have been considered lurid and perverse.”-Pg 11-12. Dreams from My Father This impacted Obama’s life because he had moved to Texas as a little boy with his grandparents and mother. His grandfather worked for a company that racially profiled African Americans. The family moved to after, Obama’s grandmother told him she didn’t like to treat people in a bad way. Yet the 60’s wasn’t a bad decade to live in even though they had their times of violence, it still had a carefree spirit. The 1960’s enjoyed good music from Elvis Presley and Motown records. They had invented crazy fun fashion fads. “Youth dominated the culture of the 1960's. The post World War II Baby Boom had created 70 million teenagers for the sixties, and these youth swayed the fashion, the fads and the politics of the decade.”-   []. The youth would wear bell-bottomed jeans, go-go boots, love beads, and big afros. There are many factors in a person’s life that can impact them into being a great leader. Obama has done a lot for the city Chicago when he spent his time there. “ He went on to attend law school, where he became the first African—American president of the Harvard Law Review.- pg vii Dreams from My father. Upon graduation, he returned to Chicago to help lead a voter registration drive, teach constitutional law at the University of Chicago, and remain active in his community.”- http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/barackobama “President Obama's years of public service are based around his unwavering belief in the ability to unite people around a politics of purpose. In the Illinois State Senate, he passed the first major ethics reform in 25 years, cut taxes for working families, and expanded health care for children and their parents. As a United States Senator, he reached across the aisle to pass groundbreaking lobbying reform, lock up the world's most dangerous weapons, and bring transparency to government by putting federal spending online.”- [] This leader’s contribution to his community has made him a catalyst for change. Obama’s motto for his presidency campaign is “Change. Yes we can.” He has changed American for the good. Barack Obama has become an inspiration for many because he is the first African American president. Obama makes other people for that whatever you put your mind to can be accomplished as long as you never stop. I’ve interviewed friends and family about their views on our 44th president and everyone tells an identical story of how he has “influenced” them greatly. Obama continues to encourage children that education is very important. He goes to schools and gives his very inspiring account, of why knowledge  is significant to being a responsible adult in society. He also has increased the welfare for Americans and advertises the planet going “Green”-being environmental safe. President Barack Obama’s leadership is very important for out society. I’ve learned interesting things about his heritage and what he went through to become a great man he is today. I think my research on this leader has helped me understand that hard work comes with much dedication. SHAKIERRA JOHNSON Nelson Mandela

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born July 18, 1918 in the small village of Mvezo. Rolihlahla means "troublemaker” He lost his father at the age of nine due to tuberculosis. As a child Nelson Mandela recalls playing with toys that they made themselves for example molding animals and birds out of clay and ox-drawn sledges out of tree branches. Mandela's father, Gadla Henry Mphakanyiswa, served as chief of the town of Mvezo, but later his position was taken away and his family moved to qunu. When they moved his father remained a member of The Inkosi's Privy Council. There he served an instrumental role in Jongintaba Dalindyebo's ascension to the Thembu throne. Mandela’s father had four wives; he had thirteen children with them. They were four boys and nine girls. Mandela was born from his third wife.

 Mandela was the first member of his family to attend school and he was given the English name ‘Nelson’ by his teacher Miss Mdingane. He received primary education at a local mission school, after that he enrolled at the University College of Forte Hare for the Bachelor of Arts Degree. There he met Oliver Tambo and they became lifelong friends. At the end of his first year of college he became involved in a boycott by the Students’ Representative Council against the university policies, and he was told to leave the college. After that he went to Johannesburg to complete his BA via correspondence and entered politics while studying there by joining African National Congress in 1942. At the University of Witwatersrand he started with his law studies. During this period Mandela lived in Alexandra Township, which is north of Johannesburg. Later, when he was in prison, Mandela studies for a Bachelor of Laws from the university of London external program. Mandela has honorary degrees from more than 50 international universities and is chancellor of the University of the North.  Mandela’s approach to political activities was influenced by Mahatma Gandhi. during the struggle to end apartheid. he only turned around when he knew that violence was inevitable. Because it was the final change to true representative democracy was achieved without widespread bloodshed.

==Even though he spent 27 years in prison and despite the appalling crimes committed against black and coloured South Africans by the apartheid regime, Mandela still encourages forgiveness between communities. As the first president of post-apartheid South Africa he established the [|Truth and Reconciliation Commission], in which he introduced housing, education and economic reforms to improve the living standards of black South Africans. ==

After the 1948 election victory of the [|Afrikaner] -dominated [|National Party], Mandela began actively participating in politics. He led prominently in the ANC's 1952 [|Defiance Campaign] and the 1955 [|Congress of the People], in which adoption of the [|Freedom Charter] provided the fundamental basis of the anti-apartheid cause.During this time, Mandela and his fellow lawyer [|Oliver Tambo] operated the law firm of [|Mandela and Tambo]. it provided free or low-cost legal counsel to many blacks who lacked attorney representation.

On 5 August 1962 Mandela was arrested, because he was living on the run for seventeen months, and was imprisoned in the Johannesburg Fort.[|Central Intelligence Agency] made the arrest possible, because they tipped off the security police to she where he goes and what he does, and also to see his disguise .Three days later, the charges of leading workers to strike in 1961 and leaving the country illegally were read to him during a court appearance. On 25 October 1962, Mandela was sentenced to five years in [|prison]. Two years later on 11 June 1964, a verdict had been reached concerning his previous engagement in the African National Congress .While Mandela was in jail, police arrested prominent ANC leaders on 11 July 1963, at <span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;">[|Liliesleaf Farm], <span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;">[|Rivonia]. Mandela was brought in, and at the <span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;">[|Rivonia Trial] they were charged by the chief prosecutor Dr. <span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;">[|Percy Yutar] with the capital crimes of sabotage (which Mandela admitted) and crimes which were equivalent to <span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;">[|treason], but easier for the government to prove. The second charge accused the defendants of plotting a foreign invasion of South Africa, which Mandela denied. he stayed in the <span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;">[|Robben Island] eighteen of his twenty-seven years in prison. While he was in jail, his reputation grew and thats when he became widely known as the most significant black leader in South Africa. On the island, he and others performed <span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;">[|hard labour] in a lime quarry. Prison conditions were very basic. Prisoners were segregated by race, with black prisoners receiving the fewest rations. <span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;">[|Political prisoners] were kept separate from ordinary criminals and received fewer privileges. Mandela describes how, as a D-group prisoner (the lowest classification) he was allowed one visitor and one letter every six months. Letters, when they came, were often delayed for long periods and made unreadable by the prison censors.

he received the degree of <span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0645ad; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">[|Bachelor of Laws] Whilst he was in prison. He undertook study with the University of London by correspondence through its <span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;">[|External Program]. He was subsequently nominated for the position of <span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;">[|Chancellor] of the University of London in the <span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;">[|1981 election], but lost to <span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;">[|Princess Anne]. In March 1982 Mandela was transferred from Robben Island to <span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;">[|Pollsmoor Prison], along with other senior ANC leaders Walter Sisulu, Andrew Mlangeni, <span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;">[|Ahmed Kathrada] and <span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;">[|Raymond Mhlaba]

<span style="background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-origin: initial; color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">"Nelson Mandelas Family | Family of Nelson Mandela." //Nelson Mandelas | Nelson//. Web. 07 Dec. 2010. <http://www.nelsonmandelas.com/winnie-mandela-children-family.php>.

<span style="background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-origin: initial; color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">"Nelson Mandela Biography - Nelson Mandela Childhood, Life & Timeline." //Famous People - Famous People in History, Famous People List & Biography//. Web. 07 Dec. 2010. <http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/nelson-mandela-59.php>.

<span style="background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-origin: initial; color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">"Nelson Mandela Childhood - Article on Nelson Mandela by ArcyArt Original Oil Paintings." //Original Oil Paintings, South African Art, Artists, Art Exhibitions, Art Galleries and Art History//. Web. 08 Dec. 2010. [].

Donald Trump <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 250%; text-align: right;">Xavier Jackman <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 250%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Donald Trump born on June 14, 1946 in Queens, New York as has become one of the richest men in the entire world. However he didn’t get his riches easily and had to face many obstacles before he became the success he is today. (Fun-Facts.com) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 250%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Donald is the forth out of the five children of Fred Trump, who was a wealthy real estate developer that worked in New York City. Thanks to his father’s influence Donald became interested in real estate and it eventually became his career. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 250%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">When Donald was young he attended the Kew-Forest School in Forest Hills, Queens although when he turned 13 he had a school disciplinary a record of aggressive outburst which became a concern with his parents. So in order to help his aggressive behavior his parents sent him to the New York Military Academy in order better use his aggressiveness for the better. It in fact worked exquisitely well. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 250%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">While attending the New York Military Academy in upstate New York, Donald Trump earned many academic honors, played varsity football in 1962, varsity soccer in 1963, and even the varsity baseball from 1962-1964 when he became the captain of the team and received awards later that year

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 250%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">During his senior year he was promoted to Cadet Captian-S4, Trump and Cadet First Sergeant Jeff Donaldson ’65, (West Point ’69) formed a composite company of cadets, taught them advanced close-order drills, and marched them all down Fifth Avenue on Memorial Day, 1964. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 250%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Trump later attended the famous Fordham University in New York City for two years before transferring to the Wharton School of the University in Pennsylvania. Later, after graduating from the school in 1968 with a Bachelor of Science degree in economics and concentration in finance, he became a member of his father’s real estate company. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 250%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">When he began his career he focused his attention on the field of middle-class rental housing something his father had ambitions for. His mind set was middle-class rental housing in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island. One of Trump’s earliest projects was one he started while still in college. It was the revitalization of the foreclosed Swifton Village apartment complex in Cincinnati, Ohio and turning the 1200-unit complex which had a 66% vacancy rate to 100% occupancy within a year. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 250%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Soon after, his father’s Trump Organization sold the Swifton Village for $12 million, making a 6 million dollar profit. Donald’s early success did not come without first facing many obstacles. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 250%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">When the recession hit in 1989, Donald could not pay his loans that he took out on the construction projects such as casinos and real estate. He was also on the edge of personal and business bankruptcy in 1991.The banks and bond holders that he borrowed from had lost not tens but hundreds of millions of dollars, but opted to restructure his debt to avoid the risk of losing more money when in court. His famous casino the Taj Mahal reemerged from bankruptcy on October 5th, 1991, but with this trump had to relinquish 50% ownership in the casino to the original bondholders in order to make amends for lower interest rates on the debt and more time to be able to pay it off. In 1992 Trump was forced to file for chapter 11 bankruptcy for one of his casinos the Taj Mahal. Chapter 11 is when a business is unable to service its debt or pay its <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 250%; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">[|creditors], the business or its creditors can file with a federal bankruptcy court for protection under either <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 250%; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">[|Chapter 7] or Chapter 11. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 250%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Also on November 2nd, 1992 the Trumps Plaza Hotel was also forced into filling for a prepackaged chapter 11 bankruptcy after being unable to make its debt payments. When making the plan Trump had to agree to let go of 49% of the stake in the luxury hotel to the Citibank and five other lenders. In return for the 49% Trump would retain his position as chief executive, but he wouldn’t be paid during this time and would not have a role in daily operations.

After years of debt were paid off Trump was finally able to fully begin his career as a real-estate worker. Today Donald Trump makes many appearances. He made a famous appearance at the WWE (//World Wrestling Entertainment//). With these he has also bought the Miss America pageant and is a constant judge in the show. Speaking of shows Donald Trump also made a show himself which he called “//The Apprentice”// which came on Fox every Friday at 8:00pm After Trump has settled everything having to do with his debt he began to climb the ladder to the top. Today Donald trump is one of the most respected people on the planet. He is also the second richest man on the planet. He controls many hotels and Casinos across the world. Lately the only trouble Trump has seen was during the year 2008. Trump had been caught up in the great [|2008 financial crisis] as sales at almost all his hotels mainly the [|Trump International Hotel and Tower] in Chicago had been lagging. With the he had failed to pay a $40m loan to [|Deutsche Bank] in December. He soon complained that the crisis was an act of god working against him and tried to opt out of paying back the loan. Even with this he had to end up filing for bankruptcy again. This decision ended up being the final step for this International hotel and this Chicago tower.

Hanry David Thoreau Mahir Vahora

**Introduction**

The works of Henry David Thoreau are read and analyzed in AP English Language classes across the nation. Typically, students read //Walden//, and his essay “Civil Disobedience”, and analyze how Thoreau uses rhetorical devices to help him get his point across. From my own experience, we only learn of Thoreau that he was a transcendentalist who lived as simple a life as he could by living in the woods. We learn that he did not 100% agree with the standards of the early and mid 19th century. But, how many of us know his full background and how his contributions impacted and continue to impact future generations? What has caused this transcendentalist to become the Henry David Thoreau we know? **Youth and Family** Born in 1817 and died in 1862 in Concord, Massachusetts to a poor family, Thoreau grew up with twp siblings; however, his brother passed away in 1842 and his sister passed away in 1849. These incidents left an indelible mark on him, but he still attended Harvard University in 1833 as a scholarship student. Even at a young age, Thoreau built a reputation as an individualist. He became a dove in a flock of ravens, as his opinions and values no longer matched those of his peers at Harvard. Upon graduating from Harvard in 1837, he found a job as a teacher at a private school which his brother John had started. In addition, he took out time to write, aspiring to become a poet (Encyclopedia of World Biography 429). Thoreau helped his father manufacture lead-pencils. Thoreau’s “creation” was so excellent that chemists and artists from Boston thought it to be of good quality. When he returned home content, he decided not to make another pencil, commenting that he would never repeat what he had done once (Emerson 4). This supports his simplicity, because he was only content with making one pencil; he didn’t need to make more. He moved to Walden Pond, away from everybody else in order to live a simple life, free of materialism. This simplicity was one of the major themes in his book //Walden//. **Education** Thoreau attended Harvard University, which was and is a very prestigious college. He was an exceptional student at Harvard. Heavily emphasizing the classics, Thoreau “studied Latin and Greek grammar or composition for three of his four years” (Witherell). He also learned Italian, French, German, and Spanish. As an individualist, Thoreau was also not content with Harvard’s teaching methods. This discontent was a factor in his contributions. By learning a variety of languages, including the ancient ones such as Latin and Greek, Thoreau studies the history of different civilizations and must have compared them with 19th century America. Perhaps he has learned of what people before him did to cope with their societal problems. Who is to say that Thoreau was original in moving to the woods and living an ascetic life? **Historical and Political Events** Thoreau begins his essay “Civil Disobedience” as “I HEARTILY ACCEPT the motto, — "That government is best which governs least"; and I should like to see it acted up to more rapidly and systematically.” (Civil Disobedience). Based on this opening quote, one can assume that as an individualist, and to an extent as a transcendentalist, that Thoreau did not live in an acceptable environment. The political system in the early to mid-19th century must have been Thoreau’s definition of “corrupt”. According to Thoreau, it would be best for everyone if there wasn’t a government at all, if there can’t be a good and fair government. He ran away from the government and sought to be independent and his own ruler. The unjust government placed a poll tax on the property that Thoreau had built for himself. He had to spend one night in jail for refusing to pay. Thoreau was an inspiration to many people after him. Although civil disobedience was as effective as giving a speech without a microphone in Thoreau’s time, it has become a driving force in years to come. According to the Encyclopedia of World Biography, “His advocacy of civil disobedience against an unjust government, though it cause hardly a ripple in his time, later influenced Mohandas Gandhi’s campaign for Indian independence and still influences many of today’s radicals” (Encyclopedia of World Biography 428). In spite of the unjust government, the early 19th century was a time of technological development in America. Some of the new inventions, such as railroads, had changed the world. Thoreau was an inventor who believed, along with his other beliefs, that the industrial revolution has “the potential for the destruction of nature for the ends of commerce” and that “technology also provoked an excitement that was counterproductive because it served as a distraction from the important questions of life” ( Witherell ). Thoreau did not completely disapprove of technology – he did make a lead pencil – but was cautious about it. **Cultural Context** Although Thoreau was moved by the beauty of nature, he had more of an influence to art than did art on him. Thoreau had a major influence on composer John Cage. According to // Henry David Thoreau as a Source for Artistic Inspiration, // “Best known for his musical scores and avant-garde performance art, Cage has been able to successfully adapt images from Thoreau’s writings to both his music and visual art” (Koslow 7). **Scientific and Technological Context**

The Industrial Revolution was the major technological context. Thoreau was also a scientist, a naturalist, an environmentalist. In his book Walden, Thoreau does more than discuss his escape from the unjust government; he recognizes and digests the nature that surrounds him. While he is alone, he can enjoy the peaceful environment in the woods of Walden Pond. Thoreau understood that materialism results in the destruction of nature, because humans require many things in the environment to make their lives better, ignorant of the consequences on other living things. Thoreau didn’t think that materialism was a problem just for the effect it has on the environment. He saw it “as a distraction from many real problems, including those relating to the environment” (Young). Thoreau observed the beauty of nature in technology and of technology in nature. William E. Cain writes “Thoreau observes a water wheel capturing the power of nature, converting divine power, the spiritual runoff, to human use, be it sounding a bell, grinding corn, powering factories, or empowering an inspiring writer; nature as the “fountain” of divine power, be it material, artistic, or spiritual”( Cain 139). This quote also establishes Thoreau’s credibility as a writer and as a scientist and an inventor. **Religious Context**

By literal definition, Thoreau was religious in the sense that he believed in a supreme being that has created the universe. He was nonetheless a spiritual individual who held differing beliefs compared to society. Society corrupts people by making them lose the common sense that was given to them and instilling in them a sense of hedonism, worldly pleasures and selfish materialism ( Warren). Thoreau’s belief that society is corrupting is the single main factor that influenced him and his book //Walden//. Thoreau wrote //Walden// while he sought to live a simple life in the woods near Walden Pond. In //Walden//, he says that humans “no longer camp as for a night, but have settled down on earth and forgotten heaven” (//Walden and Other Writings// 140). Thoreau also believed that people should continue working hard, saying that “the devil finds employment for the idle” (//Walden and Other Writings// 167). In //Walden//, Thoreau describes how he was content being in the woods, remarking that he only felt lonely once. **Bibliography**

Cain, William E. //A Historical Guide to Henry David Thoreau//. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2000. 09 Dec. 2010

Emerson, Ralph Waldo. //Thoreau//. Barcelona-Singapore: Athena UP, 2004. 3-4. 06 Dec. 2010

//Encyclopedia of World Biography//. St-Tr ed. Vol. 10. 1973. 428-30. 03 Dec. 2010

Koslow, Francine Amy. //Henry David Thoreau as a Source for Artistic Inspiration: DeCordova and Dana Museum and Park, Lincoln, Massachusetts, June 6-September 9, 1984//. Lincoln, MA: Museum, 1984. 09 Dec. 2010

Thoreau, Henry David. "Civil Disobedience." (1849). 04 Dec. 2010

Thoreau, Henry David. //Walden and Other Writings//. Ed. Joseph Wood. Krutch. 3rd ed. New York [u.a.: Bantam Book, 1981. 04 Dec. 2010

<span style="background: white; color: black; line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;">Warren, Ashley. “Benjamin Franklin and Henry David Thoreau” "UniversalJournal/AYJW - Articles, Papers, Essays - Association of Young Journalists and Writers." //The Association of Young Journalists, AYJW - News Media, Travel, Games, and More - College and Media Directory//. Web. 07 Dec. 2010. <http://www.ayjw.org/articles.php?id=525445>.

Witherell, By Elizabeth. "The Writings of Henry D. Thoreau." //UC Santa Barbara Library//. Web. 07 Dec. 2010. <http://www.library.ucsb.edu/thoreau/thoreau_life.html>.

Young, Gerald L. "Thoreau, Henry David." In Environmental Encyclopedia, edited by W.P. Cunningham et al., pp. 827-29. Detroit: Gale Research Inc., 1994. []

Alicia Townes Pd: 3 12/10/10

Leadership Project: ** Benjamin Carson **

Benjamin Solomon Carson was born on September 18th, 1951 in Detroit, Michigan to Sonya Copeland and Robert Solomon Carson (Lewin 321). His occupation to the world is a life saver, but he really is an amazing neurosurgeon who has forever changed the face of complex brain surgery for the world. What makes Ben Carson the man he is today is a result from the time he grew up and lived in, as well as the lives that we around hi, throughout his life. Dr. Carson, born and raised in the inner city of Detroit, grew up in extreme poverty. After his parents got a divorce when Ben was at the age of 8 years old, his mother, Sonya, was left raising both Dr. Carson, and his two year older brother, Curtis, by herself (www.notablebiographies.com). His mother, Sonya, dropped out of school in the third grade, leaving home to escape a difficult home situation, and married Robert Carson when she was only thirteen years old, while he was twenty eight years (www.achievement.org). Though she could not read, through her daily actions, she refused to live a life that was restricted by other people; she knew she could make enough to make the best out of what she had for her sons. She worked two and three jobs to provide for her children. Dr. Carson describes his mother as having, “the classic Type A personality – hardworking, goal orientated, driven to demanding the best for herself in any situation, refusing to settle for less. She’s intelligent… She has natural ability,” (Carson 16). The way Ben describes his mother, whose main education was from what she learned in the real world, shows that she has had a large influence on him. He also feels that with his father around, he would have been negative towards his future ambitions and limiting his successes in school. Because Dr. Carson’s mother knew how hard it was to get by with little “book” education, she always wanted more for her sons, which would be completely all grades, first to twelfth, as well as, attend college. His mother’s hope wasn’t always easily achieved by her sons. Right after the divorce, Sonya took the boy to live in Boston, Massachusetts to be closer to family, but two years later, they moved back to Detroit, where young Benjamin realized that he was farther behind in education than the other fifth graders (www.notablebiographies.com). “In an Oracle interview with Andrew Pina, Carson recalled being laughed at by his classmates who, one day at recess, decided he was not only the dumbest kid in the fifth grade, but maybe the dumbest kid in the whole world,” (www.notablebiographies.com). Dr. Carson’s primary education years were very unpleasant as well as, very demeaning, causing Ben to develop a dangerous temper (www.achievement.org). “Life at Higgens Elementary was not easy” due to the majority of the students were white and Ben was black and stood out; the students would taunt him and the teachers would ignore him (www.notablebiographies.com). As Benjamin and his brother’s grades continued to fall, their mother stepped in. She restricted the amount of TV they would watch, as well as the time they could spend outside playing; homework had to come first. “His mother would challenge [Dr. Carson] and [his] brother to read two books every week from the Detroit Public Library and submit to her written book reports,” that she would pretend to be able to read by making the up (http://carsonscholars.org). Ben acquired a “hunger for knowledge” and began to read more and more in all subjects. His childhood dream of becoming a doctor was coming back into his mind, though his temper still existed. A lot of his anger came from the prejudice he received. When Den was in the eight grade, one of the teachers, while he was receiving an award for his academic achievements, scolded his class for allowing him to get the award over the, (Lewin 321). The anger caused by never being good enough in school, where he was never praised for his hard efforts, Ben would often get into fights, where he would, “fly off the handle,” (Lewin 321). For simple things Ben would receive surprised remarks, such as when he identified a rock sample that his teacher had brought in; he learned about the rock from one of the books he read from the library (www.achievement.org). People throughout his education looked down on him, and he became the angry black person that they all assumed he would be. Once after Ben and his friend got into an argument, he went for his pocked knife to stab the friend. Luckily, the knife broke off on the boys large, metal belt buckle, saving Ben from a life in crime and prison (Lewin 321). Ben, with all his anger, at the age of 14, felt that he was changing for the worst. In shock from almost killing a friend, Ben turned towards religion to silence his anger. Dr Carson turned to Seventh- Day Adventist, which he still follows to this day. With the help of god, and the love of his mother and brother, Ben again refocused his life towards knowledge. For all of his hard efforts, in high school he was awarded a scholarship to Yale University (Lewin 321). He received his bachelor degree in 1973 from Yale. The continued his education at the University of Michigan to become a doctor (www.notablebiographies.com). Dr. Carson, originally wanting to became involved in psychiatry, because he found the brain to be very interesting because of its power and found it interesting how people don’t use its full potential. While at medical school in Michigan, Dr. Carson realized that he had very good had-eye coordination, which is great for neurosurgery (Lewin 321). Ben graduated from Michigan’s medical school in 1977 with a doctorate in neurosurgery, quickly being accepted into the residency program at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore (Lewin 321). In 1983, after 6 years at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Carson was offered an amazing opportunity as chief neurosurgical residency at Queen Elizabeth II Medical Center in Perth, Australia because of a shortage of neurosurgeons in the country (Lewin 321). He learned so much while in Australia, from having hand-on operations. In 1984, Dr. Carson returned to Johns Hopkins, where in a year he was promoted to director of pediatric neurosurgery (Lewin 321). He was 34 years old, “becoming one of the youngest doctors in the country to head such a division (Lewin 321). While back at Hopkins, Dr. Carson has changed the face of neurosurgery. He revived the procedure of hemispherectomy, in which the neurosurgeon would remove half of a patient’s drain to cure diseases that cause seizures; “with Carson’s skills the procedure has been highly successful,” (Lewin 321). Ben Carson is a clear representation of the kinds of change that has happened over time he has been on this earth. Dr. Carson has lived through the administrations of Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford Reagan, Bush Sr., Clinton, and Bush Jr. When Ben Carson was born, changes in the nation were taking place, but the ones that would forever change Ben’s education hopes occurred with the Civil Rights movement. The court case of Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka, 1954, in which it was ruled separate white and black facilities can’t be equal, was decided and the Civil rights act of 1960 “provided federal sanction against local officials obstructing the registration and voting rights of black,” (Degragorio 539). In 1962, African American student, James Meredith, had to have the national guard protect him while going into the University of Mississippi. In 1963, freedom riders traveled across the south campaign about the wrongs of segregation. In 1964, Ben Carson was 14 years old when the Civil Right of 1964, was passed which barred discrimination in employment as well as in hotels, restaurants, and other public facilities. These few laws passed gave Ben the ability to receive a fair education even though he was still strongly discriminated against for being black, in a white mans world. Ben Carson is a perfect leader. He shows that through determination and the guidance of truly important people in your life you can decide your own future.