Baraka Maingi, a 9th grader at SRA is best known for playing football, being outgoing and having a friendly attitude. We sat down with him to hear his story about his own family’s black history. His mom is the perfect example of how determination and hard work can help people achieve their dreams. She arrived in California in the 1990s. Originally from Kenya, she came to America seeking new opportunities. She went to nursing school to earn her degree, and now works as a registered nurse at Loma Linda University Health Murrieta in general surgery. Baraka explained that his mom “Just loves to help people and make them feel loved”.

Baraka believes his mom is a great influence because she believes that character tells everything about a person. She works hard to be a great example for all of her children. She also ensures that they know everything about their culture. She took Baraka and his brother, Amani to Kenya in 2016. During this time, they explored the area and met several family members. They got to meet their grandma who taught them about the importance of being independent and not always relying on their parents. They also tried mbuyu, which is a popular fruit in Kenya. It’s bright red, sour, sweet, and has a large seed in the middle.

One of the most memorable experiences was seeing a set of abandoned train tracks and an old train depot that was covered by the brush. This sparked a curiosity that has led to Baraka’s fascination with trains and transportation. “Trains can tell a lot about the history of a place because they can tell how old a city is and how it got started.” Baraka’s story shows how diverse the African American identity is and how much we can learn from others.