Give the valedictorian title to the student with the highest GPA.

The Issue

An African-American teenage mother, Kymberly Wimberley, earned the highest GPA in her class at Arkansas' McGehee School District.

But a lawsuit filed by the student this month alleges that her district discriminated against her and made her share the honor with a white student - because she was a black teenage mother.

This is categorically unfair. Teen parents are routinely discriminated against and face significant institutional barriers to education. Teen mothers are expected to fail, but Kymberly Wimberley defied both the odds and the stereotypes. She went back to school a few short weeks after having a child, and worked endlessly hard to achieve high grades in advanced placement classes - courses often considered too difficult for even bright students. Kymberly is a committed scholar and she excelled beyond her peers. Without faltering or failing, she achieved high scores. She did not just graduate: she graduated with honours. Kymberly is an exceptional, talented young woman and the fact that she is a black teenage mother does not detract from her accomplishments.

Kymberly Wimberley earned the right to be sole valedictorian of her school.

Tell the school district to give the valedictorian title to the student with the highest GPA.

avatar of the starter
Bee LavenderPetition StarterBee Lavender was a single teenage mother with cancer, and worked her way out of poverty to become a writer and activist. Her books include a memoir about danger titled Lessons in Taxidermy and the anthologies Breeder and Mamaphonic. Bee is the publisher of the critically acclaimed website <a href="http://Hipmama.com">Hipmama.com</a> and is the founder of <a href="http://Girl-Mom.com">Girl-Mom.com</a>, an advocacy project for teen parents.
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The Issue

An African-American teenage mother, Kymberly Wimberley, earned the highest GPA in her class at Arkansas' McGehee School District.

But a lawsuit filed by the student this month alleges that her district discriminated against her and made her share the honor with a white student - because she was a black teenage mother.

This is categorically unfair. Teen parents are routinely discriminated against and face significant institutional barriers to education. Teen mothers are expected to fail, but Kymberly Wimberley defied both the odds and the stereotypes. She went back to school a few short weeks after having a child, and worked endlessly hard to achieve high grades in advanced placement classes - courses often considered too difficult for even bright students. Kymberly is a committed scholar and she excelled beyond her peers. Without faltering or failing, she achieved high scores. She did not just graduate: she graduated with honours. Kymberly is an exceptional, talented young woman and the fact that she is a black teenage mother does not detract from her accomplishments.

Kymberly Wimberley earned the right to be sole valedictorian of her school.

Tell the school district to give the valedictorian title to the student with the highest GPA.

avatar of the starter
Bee LavenderPetition StarterBee Lavender was a single teenage mother with cancer, and worked her way out of poverty to become a writer and activist. Her books include a memoir about danger titled Lessons in Taxidermy and the anthologies Breeder and Mamaphonic. Bee is the publisher of the critically acclaimed website <a href="http://Hipmama.com">Hipmama.com</a> and is the founder of <a href="http://Girl-Mom.com">Girl-Mom.com</a>, an advocacy project for teen parents.

The Decision Makers

McGehee School District, Arkansas
McGehee School District, Arkansas
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