“The skin I am in does not define what’s within.”
Sophomore Jessica Turnage recently defined herself without being judged by her skin color after winning the chapter contest Jan. 31 at the Jack and Jill Greater Huntsville Chapter in the Ann Owen Gordon Oratorical Contest. The competition consisted of writing a speech, where she focused on the color of someone’s skin not defining them.
“[Winning] has shown me that if I put my mind to write something, it can be good and inspiring to other people,” Turnage said. “It has to be something that people get touched by, that people will understand.”
All competitors were African American so Turnage focused on the importance of life and not a complexion. She is proud of her speech as well as her award, but still hopes her meaning is heard by others.
“Our skin does not define who we are and we are more than that. It shouldn’t define anybody, not just african americans, but caucasians and asians too,” Turnage said.
Turnage is currently in creative writing and posts her writing on Wattpad — a website for writers to post in a blog form. Next year, she is planning to join journalism in the hopes of improving her writing skills so she can achieve her goal.
“What I really want to do is be an author when I grow up and publish [my works] in a book,” Turnage said.
Turnage will compete at the regional contest in Jackson, Mississippi, April 16. If she wins the regional contest she will compete at nationals. For now, Turnage hopes to touch the hearts and lives of those around her with her writing.
“I want people to know that when you’re writing something you want to make it personal, but not too personal, personal enough that it touches people,” Turnage said.
