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Zulaikha Patel

by Alice from Amiens

Zulaikha Patel
Zulaikha Patel

A hero is someone who is courageous and brave. A hero does not just think of themselves, but does things for others and stands up for their beliefs. Zulaikha fights for her rights through her perseverance, faith and determination.

Zulaikha Patel was born in 2003, in South Africa. She goes to Pretoria Girls High School. Some of the teachers asked  Zulaikha and others girls to smooth their kinky hair or to tie their hair. On 29 August, Zulaikha was threatened with exclusion because she refused. Some teachers have racist rules towards black girls and Muslim girls. Some of them said their kinky hair disturbs some students. On the social networks, people have posted their Afros with the hashtag #StopRacismAtPretoriaGirlsHigh to support them. Other people created a petition for the cause "Stop racism in Pretoria Girls High." They have collected about 32,400 signatures till today. The demonstrating teenagers were threatened with arrest as Zulaikha Patel led the silent protest. "A video posted on Instagram went viral, showing Zulaikha and fellow schoolmates in a tense standoff with private security guards." Zulaikha released statements saying "In my mind, I was prepared for this. I was fighting for every black child in this country. It's time our cries are heard." Her sister, Amira Patel, supports her in the life challenge because she even had to change her school three times because of her hair. Zulaikha's action denounced the racist rules of her high school and it is extended in other countries

I choose this hero because she fought for a just cause despite her young age. I find her to be courageous and determined. She encouraged me with the idea of always fighting for my rights and for who I am.

Page created on 2/4/2017 11:21:22 AM

Last edited 2/4/2017 11:21:22 AM

The beliefs, viewpoints and opinions expressed in this hero submission on the website are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs, viewpoints and opinions of The MY HERO Project and its staff.

Related Links

Zulaikha Patel - BBCs 100 Women List
Zulaikha Patel - Wikipedia