East Lansing Youth Address Harm Caused by Discrimination, Wealth Gap in Scholarship-Winning Essays

Four recent high school graduates from East Lansing were awarded $5,000 scholarships from the Justice League of Greater Lansing, a faith-based organization addressing the racial wealth gap in the Capitol area.

The East Lansing recipients were Olivia Burns, Lydia-Anne Ding-Mejok, Nala Noel, and Zachary Barker, with each graduating from East Lansing High School with the exception of Barker who attended Okemos High School.

The scholarships were awarded at an August ceremony held at Lansing’s Church of God in Christ. There were 10 recipients in total, each writing 500-word essays responding to inquiries about the racial wealth gap or generational wealth in the United States. Applicants had to be residents of Ingham, Eaton or Clinton counties and descendants of enslaved African Americans.

“A common thread in their essays is that discrimination today has resulted from years of social injustices, and it continues to limit African American families’ access to basic wealth buildings [like] education, higher paying jobs and home ownership,” said Willye Bryan, founder and vice president of the Justice League.

ELi spoke with the four East Lansing recipients, discussing their winning essays and plans for the future.

Olivia Burns was an active member of the ELHS Black Student Union and completed internships with Michigan State Senator Sarah Anthony and a forensic psychologist. She is enrolled at Michigan State University and a member of the Honors College this fall, studying psychology. Her essay detailed her experiences as a Black woman who was adopted into a white family.

“As a Black transracial adoptee,” she wrote in her essay, “I was exposed to the generational differences that changed the amount of income in my white parents’ household and my biological family’s household. Racial disparities passed down, including the environment where a family begins, plays a big role in the amount of income a family can make in the future. According to my grandmother, my adoptive parents’ families started in Virginia and other southern states and moved to Detroit for factory jobs more specifically working for Henry Ford car factories. My biological family mainly lived in Detroit their entire lives; my great grandfather wasn’t able to get a job in factories at the time because employers didn’t want jobs to be taken from white people. Because of this, he mostly worked as a cook when he could. Since it was difficult for my biological family to get jobs to have enough food on the table, many children in my family had to start working as young as ten years old instead of going to school, and this cycle continued throughout the years.”

During an interview with ELi, Burns thanked the Justice League for raising awareness about the wealth disparity.

“They’re important not only because they are helping Black Americans,” she said, “but it gives people a positive outlet to learn about disparities that are affecting Black communities. A lot of times when we are learning about Black Americans, it’s only at limited times, whether it’s Juneteenth or Black History Month. That’s when people really zero in and talk about it and after that, they just go back to their lives. But when organizations like these pop up, it lets people not in the Black space feel comfortable about learning without coming from a negative space or maybe thinking they should feel bad for not knowing. It’s a positive celebration.”

Lydia-Anne Ding-Mejok told ELi that her parents are her heroes. Both social workers, she said that the idea of change and progress have always been a value in her family. 

Ding-Mejok was also a member of the ELHS Black Student Union, serving as public relations officer for two years. She appeared in the school’s production of Mamma Mia! and was a cheerleader and member of the National Honor Society. She is attending Central Michigan University to study biomedicine, with the goal of eventually becoming a pediatrician. 

In her essay, Ding-Mejok called on society to address issues contributing to the racial wealth gap.

“It is time for all of us…to acknowledge the racial wealth gap’s existence and work together to dismantle the systemic barriers that perpetuate inequality,” she wrote. “Only then can we truly achieve economic justice and create a society where every individual, regardless of race or background, has an equal opportunity to thrive. The racial wealth gap is not just a statistic but a lived reality that shapes the experiences and opportunities of millions of Black Americans, including myself. As I look towards the future, I am committed to advocating for change and challenging the systemic inequalities that have held back generations of Black families. By working together and prioritizing economic justice, we can create a more inclusive and equitable society for all.”

Nala Noel is attending the Art Institute of Chicago, studying painting and drawing. While at ELHS, she also was a member of the Black Student Union, in addition to the varsity cheer team and the school’s production of Mamma Mia!

Noel is hopeful about the future, something she addressed in her winning essay.

“Despite the challenges posed by the racial wealth gap,” she wrote, “my family’s story is not defined by despair but by resilience and hope. We draw strength from our ancestors’ resilience in the face of oppression and the enduring resilience within the Black community. Through perseverance, we strive for a brighter future, setting examples and as much of a foundation as we can for the generations of our family to come.”

Zachary Barker has been involved in the wider Black community for much of his life, connecting with Greater Lansing’s Chapter of Jack and Jill and Turning Point of Lansing, an organization that seeks to transform boys into men, Barker told ELi in an interview.

Like his peers, Barker finds inspiration in his parents. 

“My mother grew up in California and it was not the best area,” he told ELi, “but she had the dream of becoming a doctor. Given that she was not financially stable at the time, that caused her to work a bunch of different jobs, whether it was being a maid or working at a local fast food place. During that time, her attitude was still positive, even though they weren’t the best paying jobs. She never gave up on her dream, even when people doubted her. People in that area didn’t really do that type of job. For her to not only become a doctor, she also got her MBA, that was one of the many things that led me to my success.”

His father too, worked hard to achieve his goals, earning two degrees in engineering.

In his essay, Barker writes that hard work isn’t the only necessary component to success.

“African Americans have less generational wealth because politics and policies have blocked our potential,” he wrote. “Homeownership is really important for generational wealth. A home is something that can be passed from generation to generation. It can build equity that a family can use to borrow against to start a business. Many Black families are not able to afford a home, cannot obtain a loan to make the purchase, or their home is marked as lower value. Creating programs that will help African Americans afford homes is key in addressing the wealth gap. [The] lack of financial literacy also contributes to the problem. You have to understand what to do with money, how to stay out of debt, invest and save.”

Barker is attending MSU this fall, pursuing degrees in business and acting.