Lunch Date with a Famous African American

 ​Lunch with Dr. King

  I would love the opportunity to have lunch with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Now, more than any time in the last 50 years, civil rights are under attack. The president is a white supremacist, who also happens to be xenophobic, homophobic, islamophobic, and anti-semitic. He’s shown his white supremacist leanings by refusing to put anyone that wasn’t white or male in the first 10 seats in the line of succession. I would use the opportunity over lunch with Dr. King to discuss not only his views on the president and political landscape as a whole but also take his advice on how to best combat the current regime in the White House.

  The White House as a whole is a “basket of deplorables” led by neo-nazi Steve Bannon and alternative facts Kellyanne Conway. Dr. King experienced a similar phenomenon when he pushed for change during the Civil Rights Movement in needing to work for political change be it against a different president. Dr. King, therefore, would have valuable wisdom on how to influence the country now to push for a better tomorrow.

  Furthermore, a meeting with Dr.King would allow me to question him on the merits of an unjust law. In his piece Letters From A Birmingham Jail, he discusses the merits of following unjust laws and a meeting with him would allow me to better understand his definition of unjust laws. This term is overly ambiguous and him defining it would allow it to be a better basing point for the majority of my arguments.
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-Dawson McNamara Bloom
                                         
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Lunch Date with Barack Obama
 
  The first famous and inspiring person I pictured myself "fan girling" over lunch was Barack Obama. Barack Obama, our first black president of the United States, was born on August 4, 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii. He attended Harvard Law School and Columbia College/University for his education. He held many positions before becoming the President; Barack was a professor at the University of Chicago, a civil rights attorney, an Illinois senator for 3 years according to CNN, and an author for his autobiography “Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance”.
 
  Aside from being the first black president of the United States, Barack Obama was also the first president from Hawaii. During his presidency, the unemployment rate decreased 2.8 percentage points. Also, he passed Obama Care that provided lots of health care for those in need. He has made America great from the moment he took office in 2008, to when he started his vacation in the British Virgin Islands in 2017. He has inspired many, including me, to be as courageous as he was to run for president knowing there would be struggles for being the first African-American president.
 
  After extensive research, I found out that Barack Obama’s favorite food is Chili, so knowing that, if we were to have lunch together, I would serve Chili with crackers or rice. Having the opportunity to ask the former president of the United States his challenges, his setbacks, and his accomplishments during the presidency would be an honor. It is wishful thinking, but perhaps one day it will come true.
 
Tigar, Lindsay. “What’s Obama’s Favorite Food? These Are the Surprising Dishes U.S.
Presidents Loved (and Hated).” Bravo TV Official Site. Bravo TV, 07 Sept. 2016. Web. 22 Feb. 2017.
 
CNN Library. "Barack Obama Fast Facts." CNN. Cable News Network, 2 Feb. 2017. Web. 22
Feb. 2017.
 
-Leila Alfaro
                                         
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Lunch with Barry
 
  If I could eat lunch with any famous African American, I would choose to have lunch with Barack Obama. I would serve kalua pig and poke, traditional Hawaiian food, along with salteñas and chicharron, traditional Bolivian food from my culture. We could discuss our upbringing and how our cultures have shaped who we are as individuals in this melting pot of a country.
 
  Our former president was an inspiration to me because despite the hatred hurled at him left and right from many people in this country, he put on a brave persona and was able to conquer many different social problems of American society. From becoming our first African American president to the end of his reign and the peaceful transition of power to our current president, he maintained a strong certainty to be the best he can be, and I truly admire any human being who can stay true to him or herself.
 
  Although it was not entirely successful, Obama created a universal health care system, repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and even eliminated the statute of limitations on pay inequality cases for women. I am truly inspired by Barack Obama because he has a sense of confidence that makes me believe in myself and the power I have as a citizen to change this country.
 
Katerina Barkhausen
 
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My Marvelous Lunch Date with Viola Davis
 
  I would eat lunch with my amazing role model, Viola Davis, who is an actress that has portrayed numerous types of characters in her thought-provoking films. Davis is somebody I admire because of her sensational work on Films like: “The Help,” “Lila and Eve,” “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close,” and her TV show “How to Get Away with Murder.” It’s not just her unbelievable acting, but also her determination to create a more diverse film industry for African American actors/actresses. In every speech, Davis inspires us with her words about striving for an America that will encompass all beliefs, cultures, traditions, and people. Viola Davis has also made history by being the first African American women to win an Emmy for “Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.” She is constantly changing the world with her performances and speeches that eloquently speak to all people in every part of the world.
 
  Lunch with Viola Davis would be overwhelming for me because I would have a million questions and I would probably be really hungry. I would make Viola a delicious Spaghetti with marina sauce and Parmesan cheese because it’s one of my favorite dishes to cook. We would eat outside, near the ocean, on a lovely café table and it would be life changing for me. I would probably be overwhelmed with question by me, but I know we would have an inspiriting conversation about everything. The conversation would start with where she was born and how she became an actress. I would also ask Davis for advice about overcoming fears or challenges and of coarse wondering what its like to work beside Meryl Streep. Lunch with Viola Davis would be the most memorable day ever and I would cherish every moment with the wondrous actress.
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MLA citation: "Viola Davis." Biography.com. A&E Networks Television, 24 Jan. 2017. Web. 22 Feb. 2017.

-Sabrina Beguiristain
 
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The Important Distinction between History and the Present
 
  I would love to meet the new up-and-comer Frederick Douglass. When I read The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, I was under the impression that he was alive centuries ago. Now that I’ve learned from Donald Trump that Frederick Douglass is actually still alive and doing work for the black community, it would be an honor to meet him.
 
  Meeting him for lunch could provide me the opportunity to learn more about his conditions under slavery. I could ask Douglass exactly how he escaped and what retribution he felt during the rest of his life. I would not be surprised at his understandable anger at the current political and societal atmosphere. For this reason, we should get some mellowing tea. Frederick Douglass was once asked to meet with the then President, Abraham Lincoln. I would like to know how President Trump would compares to President Lincoln. How does the policy help and hurt African Americans? I find this interesting because, although Trump is a racist demagogue, the modern day is much less racist than it was during the Civil War. In history, many great men have lived and died. With the advent of the Internet, we seem to have forgotten the “died” part. Having dinner with Frederick Douglass would be an honor, but he is a part of history. Donald Trump seems to have confounded the concepts of history and current events. As a society, we should remember an accurate history and use it as a learning tool.

-Christopher Marrero
                                       
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"Take me out to the ball game"
 
  If I have the opportunity to have lunch with a significant figure for Black History Month, I would have to choose the first African American to play in Major League Baseball, Jackie Robinson. His courageous acts to challenge the social standards in a sport that was very popular in society during that time, even during modern days, has inspired me to stand up to something that isn't morally correct in society.
 
  He was a well known athlete throughout his life, but beyond that he was an activist standing up against racism, which was a serious issue occurring even before his time of playing baseball. He was initially going to try out for the Boston Red Sox, and someone out in the crowd was yelling clearly pointing out that he was different from the other players simply because he was black. Soon after he received a call from the Dodgers general manager, who purchased a contract to sign Jackie Robinson, and Robinson agreed to it and finally broke the color barrier in 1947. If I had the opportunity, my question to him would be why he continued to go against what every baseball fan, during those years, would say? There was so much discrimination and racism directed toward him, and eventually people get tired of all that hatred, so I think its so inspiring and incredible that he is so strong to defy the norms of society, and do what he loves regardless of what people think. He wanted to make history for baseball and thats exactly what he did.
 
  Knowing that I would be having lunch with him, I would probably let him decide whatever he wants to eat, because I feel like he has gone through so much, and has achieved a lot in history, so I would be the honored one to be in the presence of such a significant figure in history. Although, it would be fun to take him to like a sports bar to enjoy the carefree environment.
 
Cummings, Denis. "On This Day: Jackie Robinson Joins the Brooklyn Dodgers." Finding Dulcinea. N.p., 10 Apr. 2011. Web. 22 Feb. 2017.
 
-Jazmin Salcedo