“I would like to meet Katherine Johnson, because she was the first Black woman to work for NASA, and she was vital in their mission to go to space,” Berkeley High School sophomore Carlos Zubeldia-Lippman said. Johnson was a NASA mathematician who calculated orbital mechanics, but as an African American woman in the second half of the 20th century, Johnson faced segregation in the workplace. “I would talk to her about how she’s put up with all the prejudice in the world,” Zubeldia-Lippman said.
Traveling back in time to the late 1900s, Serene Kimball, a BHS junior, would want to meet American actress Shelley Duvall. Duvall is known for her roles in “The Shining” and “Popeye,” as well as eventually becoming a producer. While in the industry, Duvall faced sexist discrimination during and after her career. Kimball highlighted the importance of her work. “The things she went through really helped set a new standard for treating women in the film industry,” Kimball said.
Eduardo Gonzalez, a BHS sophomore, would like to meet Rosa Parks, “the first lady of civil rights.” “I want to know what motivated her to do all this stuff and motivate people to move forward,” Gonzalez said. Parks is most known for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger in 1955, one of the events that led to the historical Montgomery bus boycott. Parks’ activism helped ignite the Civil Rights Movement, which fought successfully for equal rights for African Americans.
BHS sophomore and musician Judah Press would travel back in time to meet legendary jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald. “I’m a jazz musician and she was a very influential singer, jazz musician, and composer,” Press said. Known for her exceptional vocal range, and her flawless timing and tone, Fitzgerald stood out as one of jazz music’s greats. Press recommends others to listen to “Summertime,” one of Fitzgerald’s classic jazz renditions, as a great introduction to her music and unique style.
Olivia Monika, a BHS freshman, would love to meet Virginia Woolf, a British author who pioneered new narrative devices and wrote many innovative novels. During their chat, Monika would want to discuss one of Woolf’s books. “‘A Room of One’s Own’ is like an essay about what would happen if Shakespeare had a sister with the same amount of talent,” Monika said, “I’m not sure I completely agree with everything she said, but it was interesting, so I would want to talk to her more about it.”
“The first woman who came to mind was Harriet Tubman, because she had a lot of drive and did a lot to help a lot of people,” BHS junior J’Nyah Santos Barreto said. After escaping slavery herself, Harriet Tubman played an important role in the underground railroad, leading dozens of enslaved people to freedom. During her 10 year run, Tubman encountered many dangers including the risk of re-enslavement. “(I would ask) what gave her the courage to do those things and how she overcame the fear,” Santos Barreto said.