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Chicago girl’s essay, Just Another Black Boy, wins national prize

April 29, 2013 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- A Chicago student inspired by the life of baseball legend Jackie Robinson won an essay contest about her own struggles with the death of her brother. Arsema Tesfai was honored Monday

April 29, 2013 (CHICAGO) (WLS) — A Chicago student inspired by the life of baseball legend Jackie Robinson won an essay contest about her own struggles with the death of her brother.

Arsema Tesfai was honored Monday by Robinson’s daughter, Sharon Robinson, at the seventh-grader’s school, St. Thomas of Canterbury.

“So, my barrier has been to recover from the grief at the death of my brother,” Tesfai wrote in her essay. “I am tired of being sad and angry.”

Her essay expresses her determination to overcome tragedy.

“I wanted people to feel that racism still exists. A lot of people think that it’s over. But it’s not,” Tesfai said.

The story won first place honors in a national essay contest, Breaking Barriers- In Sports, In Life. With her classmates looking on, the St. Thomas of Canterbury seventh-grader received her prize of laptops for herself and her teacher.

“In many ways, not only is this her day, but we’re also celebrating his life,” Christine Boyd, principal at St. Thomas of Canterbury.

Almost 19,000 essays were submitted from around the United States this year. The essay contest was started 17 years ago by Sharon Robinson. Her father broke the color barrier in baseball.

“Arsema’s essay showed that confidence. They’ve have a really difficult barrier, One that is not resolved,” Robinson said.

Arsema’s family emigrated from the State of Eritrea, a small African country north of Ethiopia. Her brother, Filmon, was shot to death before he was supposed to attend the University of Illinois at Champaign on a scholarship.

“We lost a great son in 2003,” Zerai Tesfai, Arsema’s father, said.

The crime remains unsolved. In her essay, Just Another Black Boy, Arsema wrote, “Even though Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball, racism still exists. Sometimes when I walk in an elevator with my dad, women move to the corner and clutch their purses.”

Arsema wants to fight against injustice by being a lawyer one day.

“Race is not something that puts us in different groups but something that makes every person different and unique. Filmon, you are not just another black boy. You are my hero,” Arsema said.

aseye.asena@gmail.com

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13 COMMENTS
  • H May 15, 2013

    what do you mean she came from Eritrea, a small African country north of Ethiopia. what do you want to tell us Eritrea is belong to Ethiopia……and the answere …hahhahahahhahah….. day dream

  • ማሊሻ May 15, 2013

    Congratulations to Arsema!
    We are proud of you.

  • NEW HOPE ERITREA May 15, 2013

    Let me mourn ,I see dead people !!!!

    ክበኪ እየ ኣይትሕተቱኒ ፣ኣይህብን ሓተታ
    ጓል ዘረባ፣ኣይተውጽኡሉ ጨንፈር ፣ጫሌዳ
    ክነብዕየ ክሳዕ ገጸይ ዝስእል ፣ዘይሕከኽ ማዳ
    ክሳዕ ኣደይ ትጽለል ኣሓተይ ክሳዕ ዝዓብዳ
    እታ ዝፈለጥኩዋ ኣብ 40 ዓመታ ተጋሂዳ
    ¨ተስፋይ ተምነዎ ዳሕዲሕዋ ኣብ ራድዮ ወጋሕታ
    ኤርትራ ሎሚ ´ይኮነን ኣብ ሰብዓታት´ያ ተሓሪዳ¨
    81 ተቐቢራ ህዝባ እናጸረፋ፣ቁስላ እናጎድኣ,ተሳናቢታ
    ኣነስ፣ኣንኳይዶ ደመይ ከፍስስ ንማንም ወስላታ
    ሰተት ኢለ ድኣ ኣተኹ ናብ ሰላማዊት ካናዳ
    ሓንጎል ዝሃበኒ……….. ከሊኡ ምዓንጣ
    ምስጋና ይብጽሓዮ፣ነቲ ከፋል,ናይ ሓጥያትና ዕዳ
    ግን፣ናይቲ ወቓዕ ነብሱ ፣ሓራድ ደቁ ህዝበይ እህህታ
    ሓዘን ምስ ሕርቃኑ ተነብየሉ ስለ ዝነበርኩ ናጽነት ሙዳዳ
    ራህዋ ኣይተጸበኹን……….. ካብ ዜብራዊ ሽፍታ !!!!!

  • Eritreawit May 16, 2013

    Arsema you are a brilliant young woman, proud of you.

    I’m sorry about your brother; he may RIP.

  • ida May 16, 2013

    Wow, this is what gives me hope! What a brilliant girl! We all have the power to bring good out of a tragic situations. Thank you for inspiring us all. Congrats to Arsema.

  • ADONAY May 16, 2013

    CONGRA, YOU ARE A GOOD EXAMPLE FOR ALL THE ERITREAN DIASPORA YOUTH, GO AHESD! i AM VERY SORRY FOR THE DEATH OF YOUR BROTHE. IN THIS WORLD THERE FULL OF PROBLEMS, NEVERTHLòESS GO AHESD.

  • ADONAY May 16, 2013

    THE WORLD IN WHICH WE ARE LIVING IS FULL OF PROBLEMS, GO AHEAD, CONGRA!

  • yosief May 16, 2013

    selam deleytie lewtie

  • MOGSO May 16, 2013

    Arsema,
    Congratulation,
    Keep the good work.
    I am proud of you as an Eritrean. I am sure many of our kids will be encouraged when they see some one like you.
    Parents Congratulations.
    ፍጻመ ዓወት ጓልኩም ክትርእዪ ኣምልኽ አድመን ጥዕናን ይሃብኩም፤፤
    ብጓልኩም ደማ ክንዲ ኩሎም ትኩነልኩም

    One day, who knows you will be our Attorney General (or something like that) in Eritrea.

    May God comfort you and hill your wounds for what had happen with your brother

    God bless you “eza Gualey”
    Tebareki!

  • Genet May 16, 2013

    To Arsema and family
    My condolence. for the lose of your brother. It is a lose to all of us Eritrean.

    I am very proud of you! for your achievement. It is a big deal to be number one, out of 19,000 essay writhing participants. Yes, We Eritrean, we can do any thing; we can compet with any one and win. Arsema, enjoy your achievement and more to come. Good luck with your future.
    Genet

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