Search Results: africa
Chris Rosati – The Butterfly Effect Spreads Kindness and Inspires Kids Around the World
Chris Rosati was a father of two young girls. He had a very serious disease, ALS, that changed his life forever. But while some people might see their illness as a burden, Chris saw it as an opportunity. To change the world. He wanted to see what one random act of kindness could do to change the world. He was testing “The Butterfly Effect”…
‘Hurricane Hazel’ McCallion : 94 Year Old Former Mayor and Hockey Player Starts Her Next Adventure!
If you search the entire earth, you are likely not to find another person anything like ‘Hurricane’ Hazel McCallion. Last year, at 93 years old, Hazel finally decided to retire as mayor of a 200,000 person Canadian city, Mississauga. She was their mayor for 36 years and 12 terms! As mayor, she was so popular that the last…
Cullen Jones – Olympian Goes From Nearly Drowning to Saving Lives
When Cullen Jones was 5 years old he nearly drowned. Instead of letting this horrible incident create more fear around water, Cullen decided instead to become a good swimmer. But not just any good swimmer. In case you have not heard of him, Cullen Jones is the first African American to win an Olympic Gold…
Dr. Mae Jemison – 'Daring Makes a Difference' for the First Black Woman Astronaut
Dr. Mae Jemison was interested in space and science very early in her life. From her childhood home in Chicago, she dreamed of traveling to outer space and assumed that she would! Even though many people questioned her interest in science, she persevered and followed her passion. Jemison went on to attend Stanford University to…
Nelson Mandela – His Perseverance and Passion Changed The World
Nelson Mandela is an African civil rights leader from South Africa who changed the world for the better. His lifelong goal, similar to Martin Luther King, Jr., was to achieve equal rights for non-white people in his country. He was so dedicated to this cause, that he spent a large portion of his life in…
Oscar Pistorius – Reaching for Ultimate Greatness Despite his Disability!
In November 1986, in Johannesburg, South Africa, a boy was born with deformed legs. Because of the deformity, the boy’s parents had to have his lower legs amputated. The boy was fitted with prosthetics 6 months later, and after that he was off and running, literally! The boy’s name? Oscar Pistorius. Because Oscar lost his lower legs…
Brandon Hill – Empowering Success Through The Brotherhood!
Back in 2008, Brandon Hill was a teenager who felt that his life had no real direction. But on November 4, 2008, that all changed. On that day, amid chants of “YES WE CAN!”, Barack Obama became the first African-American president in America’s history. Seeing how Obama had overcome the obstacles in his life to rise to ultimate…
National Freedom Day – A Day to Celebrate America!
Each year on February 1, Americans celebrate a little-known but truly inspirational observance……National Freedom Day. On this day in 1865, President Abraham Lincoln signed into effect what would later become the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. The 13th Amendment to the Constitution was particularly important, because it was the amendment that outlawed slavery in America, changing the course of our country’s…
Claudette Colvin – A Brave Advocate for Racial Equality
Most people are familiar with the inspiring story of Rosa Parks, the African-American lady who refused to give up her bus seat in 1955 during the civil rights movement. But did you know that there was actually another who performed the same peaceful protest months earlier? This other person was Claudette Colvin, a 15-year-old African-American girl. She,…
Pride, Determination, Resilience (PDR) – The Amazing Swim Team of Jim Ellis
Pride, determination, and resilience – combine these three qualities, and you’ve got a solid foundation for excellence. To Jim Ellis, these qualities were important ones to teach kids, especially underserved kids who might not have many examples of them. Jim chose to teach kids these qualities by sharing with them something he loved – swimming. In 1972, Jim…
