Last month, I attended a non-partisan event to promote gun safety. The speaker lineup included the Lieutenant Governor, but the highlight for the crowd was a seven year old. Havana spoke with such poise about a cousin lost to gun violence and her experience working to prevent gun violence.
She wore an astronaut suit to show that little Black girls can grow up to be strong and powerful. Personally, she has my vote for president. She couldn't really see over the podium, but she brought down the house.
And I didn't have my camera.
So I did what any good extrovert would do. I introduced myself, promised I wasn't crazy, and gave her dad my business card. And then I learned that her mom is a teacher, who runs Biracial Bookworms. And then I learned that Havana is raising money so that kids in Ghana can have books, and books that feature Black characters. (If you've never searched for books featuring non-white characters, it's harder than you might think!)
Friends, meet Havana. She wants to be an astronaut. And probably president.
I loved seeing that Havana is just a regular kid, who happens to have supportive parents and who is making a huge impact. She has a huge personality, but what she is doing is something that can be done by any kid with some parental or teacher support.
Keep leading, Havana. I know your parents and sister will be so proud of whatever you do!
