(This is the second in a series written by teenagers about summer. Bintou Tunkara will enter 12th grade in Union City, Ga. — a suburb of Atlanta— after she finishes her summer internship.)
When summer hits, everyone is off traveling abroad, finding a new hobby or even just chilling at home, waiting for the school year to start. Not me. I decided to spend my summer participating in Union City government’s summer internship program. It’s offered to students who have an interest in civil service and leadership. This eight-week program allows interns to work in each of the municipal departments and witness the behind-the-scenes operations of a city. And it has done something else for me.
It has helped me see clearly certain aspects of my life.
My interest in governmental affairs comes from the complexity of being a first-generation Gambian-American. My community has traditionally overlooked the importance of girls’ education, and has suffered from its lack of participation in American civil society. As soon as you are close to graduating from high school the main questions you hear are, “Where’s your husband?” and “When are you going to get married?” You don’t hear questions like, “What college are you looking into?” and “What do you want to major in?”
With all due respect to my country’s culture, I just believe that higher education needs to be a primary goal.
Now, I am in no way, shape or form saying that our culture and traditions — like getting married — should be pushed aside completely. I know a couple of women who successfully got married, had kids and attended college all at once. This can work for some people, but it may not work for all. Also, if you think about it, Gambians came all the way to America for a better life and more opportunities for their children, so why only enforce marriage but not the importance of education? Fortunately, my mother always talks about how education is the foundation to everything, and I really appreciate her for that. She is the one who motivates me every day to pursue what I want for myself.
The Gambian community here in Atlanta, and the larger United States, tends to shy away from working in governmental affairs, primarily because Gambians feel as if they are guests, with no say about American policies and issues. They believe that their opinions do not matter, and view politics as corrupt, thus discouraging people like me from participating in politics and holding public office. For example, though many Gambians have obtained their American citizenship, they still aren’t aware of their fundamental rights, like voting. I believe that the more the Gambian community expresses itself within American society, the more aide we will receive. The U.S. can help with issues like female genital mutilation and the recovery of a dictator-torn country only if we Gambians work together to make sure our voice is heard.
UUltimately, this internship has sparked my interest in city government, as well as the desire to work on these problems. Having Gambian representation in local and national government could revolutionize my community’s participation in civil service.
I plan to help foster this by being a mentor to young Gambian-American girls and girls everywhere who go through the same kinds of cultural obstacles.
I want to show them that higher education is valuable, and no one should take that right away from them. I also plan to have conversations with Gambian parents about the importance of participating in American society, and about their rights after they become American citizens.
Like my close friend said, “With new places and ideas come change, the chance for growth and prosperity. But in order for that to happen, the ideologies that hinder growth need to be broken, in a smart and not disrespectful way.”
Through this Union City internship, I realize that I’m going to have to be a voice for younger generations, and I will also have to dedicate my life to promoting female empowerment.
