Role Models, Michael Jordan and Billie Hliday

In the twentieth century there have been numerous pioneers that have created history. Some of the pioneers have broken barriers for others to prosper as well. Others improved on what was already created. For instance, Michael Jordan totally improved and changed the game of basketball. Someone who broke barriers for others was the famous Billie Holiday, who made the jazz industry what it is today.

Billie Holiday, like many African-Americans, grew up in poverty in the early 1900’s. She was born into a family that had little money and her parents also were teenagers. Billie Holiday grew up in Harlem and barely ever saw her father because he was a guitar player in a band. He later severed all contact with his family (Biography of Billie Holiday 1). This is where Billie Holiday got her raw talent to sing from, from her estranged father. As she grew up she taught herself how to sing. She had very little schooling and had a natural talent. This is what got her far. Billie Holiday overcame a lot of things, which make her even more special. She survived rape at the age of eleven and went to prison at Ryker’s Island with her mother for prostitution (Biography of

characteristic in his later life. In elementary and early high school Tony Horn was very bright and intelligent. He was also very bad as well. He was the average student who was good and bad at the same time. Racism was still vibrant as he was growing up; Tony Horn, however, was raised not to be biased. Tony Horn was popular regardless of the racism. He was just as popular with the whites as with the blacks.

Michael Jordan also grew up in poverty, but not nearly as bad as Billie Holiday. He grew up with many brothers and sisters and was the fourth of five children. But his parents noticed a problem; Michael Jordan was the only lazy child. “He was the probably the laziest kid I had. He would give every last dime of his allowance to his brothers and sisters and kids in the neighborhood to do his chores for him . . . . . That really got me", James Michael Jordan said (Dolan 17). Michael Jordan’s main enemy in sports was his older brother Larry. He was a lot bigger and always beat Michael Jordan. This is one of the reasons why Michael Jordan became great. Michael Jordan had to also overcome a lot of obstacles as a child. He had to overcome his average height as well as his basketball skills. When he first arrived in high school he tried out for the varsity basketball team and was cut. He tried out again next year and was cut again (Michael Jordan ((1997)) DISCovery Biography 2). This made him realize what disappointment felt like and he did not want to feel like this again. So between his sophomore and junior years he practiced and grew from five feet eleven inches to six feet three inches. During his junior and senior years he became the star of his varsity high school team (Gutman 28). During his early years Michael Jordan admired Bill Russell who played for the Boston Celtics and Wilt Chamberland who played for the Philadelphia 76ers. Michael Jordan’s favorite role model happened to be Babe Ruth. Baseball, not basketball, was Michael Jordan’s favorite sport (Michael Jordan. ((1997)) DISCovery U.S. History).

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