I chose T.J. Jemison because he was an inspiration to others during the civil rights movement. He organized a bus boycott in 1953, because at that time Black people weren’t allowed to sit in the front with White people. They had to sit in the back or stand up. He risked his life for other people. I admire how he helped people, and he was courageous.

T.J. Jemison was a civil rights leader and a Baptist reverend. He wanted to help Black people have equal rights, and he organized a bus boycott in Baton Rouge to try to get equal rights for Black riders. During the bus boycott, he helped people move around through a ride-share network because they couldn’t go on the buses. Because of the boycott, a new law was passed where the first two rows were for White people, and the rest were first-come, first-serve and Black people could use those seats.

I chose to draw T.J. Jemison in pencil to make him look as real as possible. He made a great impact on people, and I wanted to show who he really was.

His story makes me want to help people. If someone was mean to my friends, I would stand up for them. In Westport, there’s a group called Team Westport, which makes our town a more welcoming, multicultural community. After reading about T.J. Jemison’s bravery, I want to learn how to get more involved with this group.