The Black Sheep of the White House

The Black Sheep of the White House #EyesLipsFierce

Pride is usually referred to as something vile unless talking about minority groups. And while a lot of minority groups get recognized, some of them are still oppressed. 9/11 was an event that many still remember to this day. And those who weren't there still know about it. After that event, many Muslims have pushed around and were oppressed. Many females stopped wearing a hijab due to all the hate they were getting. However, a young hijabi was one of the few who fought back.

I moved to Maryland a few years back and was enrolled in the nearby Sunday School. This was the school year right before the 2016 election where Trump won. I was in fourth grade but around the end of the school year, I was able to move up to fifth grade. And this is where I met her. My teacher. She didn't come to teach us every weekend, but she was still there and she still taught. Just like me, her parents had immigrated from Bangladesh and moved her to the U.S to create new opportunities. But unlike me, she was alive and a hijab-wearing student during 9/11. After she graduated from university, she joined the government and was working in the West Wing of the White House during the time of Barack Obama.

My teacher's passion had always been in global social entrepreneurship and empowerment of women and their voices. She also hoped to empower young and old Muslim Americans. And this is what she got to do within her time as an Executive Assistant to the Deputy Assistant to the President & Director of Public Engagement in the White House.

By the time I met her, Trump had made his stance clear when it came to Muslims. That was why many, if not all, of us learning about our religion in the classroom, were scared since we were all Muslims. Many of us wondered whether or not we should move to Canada if Trump got the position. And when we found out he did end up winning, we were all shocked and horrified. Thankfully none of us did end up moving because of Trump.

Eight days after Trump got ahold of the White House, my teacher left her position there, not wanting to work under someone who saw her and people like her as a threat. It was because she felt insulted walking into the country's most historic building that was working against everything she stood for as an American and a Muslim.

To this day, I still remember who she was. I still remember the day I saw her face in the news when her resignation became known to the public. And I doubt that I ever will forget her. Because this woman is one that changed my life for the better. And her teachings are something I will carry with me for the rest of my life.