Senior Spotlight: Sophia Byrd

Johnnysha Shannon

 

         

 

        A true example of strength and grace is Whitney Young senior, Sophia Byrd. Member of the Guys and Dolls Dance Company, one of her many passions is dance. “It’s really tough sometimes but I still love it” she said. At the Spring Show, Rise Up, one of Sophia’s dances that she created was featured. The dance depicted the tragic death of Laquan McDonald. The dance included audio of newscasters reports of the event, police sirens, and police lights. Ms. Byrd is also a member of the Black Lives Matter organization. Activism and standing up for what she believes in is very important to her. “Being half white and half black but automatically being viewed as black by society is a big part of my life and something I have to live with.” Sophia will be attending the University of Illinois in Urbana Champaign in the fall but isn’t sure if she will continue to dance there. But her passion for activism isn’t wavering.