Nothing is impossible. be careful about giving up young women because of their circumstances. Roslyn sent in this story about Khadijah Williams. She’s 18 years old and she’s headed to Harvard:
Around here, Khadijah is known as “Harvard girl,” the “smart girl” and the girl with the contagious smile who landed at Jefferson High School only 18 months ago. What students don’t know is that she is also a homeless girl.
As long as she can remember, Khadijah has floated from shelters to motels to armories along the West Coast with her mother. She has attended 12 schools in 12 years; lived out of garbage bags among pimps, prostitutes and drug dealers. Every morning, she upheld her dignity, making sure she didn’t smell or look disheveled. LA Times
Khadijah was born to a 14 year old mother. Who dragged her from place to place. Khadijah, understandably is reluctant to criticize her mother even though the woman packed up and left with Khadija’s sister when she was in the 11th grade:
When her college applications were due in December, James and Patricia London of South Central Scholars invited Khadijah to their home in Rancho Palos Verdes to help her write her essays. When they went to return her to skid row, her mother and sister were gone. Khadijah accepted the Londons’ invitation to spend the rest of her school year with them. LA Times
Its a poignant story. I emailed the reporter to see if she has a scholarship fund.
16 comments ↓
Good for her. She should be getting free tuition b/c her family would fall under the Harvard guideline for it.
I think her mom must be mentally ill b/c there I am sure a major city like LA has seperate facilities for women and children like my city has. Its a postive story but I can’t help to think the mother is still dragging the little sister around living that life
Amazing story God bless you Sister Khadijah and others who are able to rise above it and prosper!
@Naima
Yeah I’m worried about the little sis too. She might not be able to focus like her big sis on school and may end up who knows where doing who knows what.
Way to go!!! I wish her the best. This story should make headline news everyday for the next two months.
This story brought tears to my eyes..especially since mine is much like hers, though I didn’t get to Harvard!!! Khadijah is such and inspiration and gives me hope that there are others like her who can make it through all the muck that life throws at them and strive for a greater life ahead.
Harvard’s policy will cover her tuition and housing, but she will still need funds for day-to-day expenses and books. I will donate if a fund for her exists.
I’m in meetings for the rest of the week, but I emailed the reporter, if someone can do some digging either at Harvard or in Los Angeles and find out if she has a scholarship fund, I would appreciate it. I think this would be a great blog project.
wow, that story made me cry too. she has been through soooo much. I’m so glad she got to go, but I think something is wrong with her mom. How can one be homeless this loooooog. There are programs out there for women with children. And then to leave her and disappear. Why would she do that? Maybe she was trying to force the ppl to keep her until she made it into Harvard. I’m very happy for this young lady, but concerned about the Mom and little sis… It was a great story though…
I would bet money that there is some type of mental ilness involved. I would hope its mental ilness and not just run of the mill selfishness.
What an amazing story.
I hope Harvard is friendly to her.
What amazing tenacity that girl has. I would love to let her know what an inspiration she is to probably every human being in the world. I hope now that her story has come to light she is given all the support she can handle!
Aw Khadijah’s story is truly inspirational. The strength of black people… we go through hell and still manage to make it. I will pray for Ms. Williams and her family because I’m sure her mother and sister are still living a dangerous life.
Khadijah does have a website that tells more of her story and where people can contribute to a custodial account in her name – http://www.khadijahwilliams.com
Khadijah also appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show which will air (tentatively) on October 2. Watch for the surprise!
Wow! I’ll definitely be watching the show on the 2nd to see and hear more of her story. It’s an amazing feat to get into collegel nowadays with the full suport of your parents, family and friends but to do it in her circumstances and then go to one of-if not the- best school in the nation is amazing. I wish her all the best inculding if only for reassurance that her mother and little sister get in contact with her and at least let her know that they are ok and rooting for her.
It is Oprah. There is no suprise. I bet O is gonna pay for Khadijah’s tuition at Harvard, and her masters & phd if she wants that as well. This is the migth O afterall.
Good 4 Khadijah.
Have her sister and mother been found ?