Akheela and the Bee

Essay on the Movie “Akeelah and the Bee “

In this essay, I’m going to discuss a few topics regarding the film Akeelah and the Bee. I’m going to explain why she is considered a hero in her community and what challenges she needed to overcome. I will also be talking about the character Javier and what characteristics he has that will make him a great leader in the future. Also, I’m going to explain the differences between the two schools Crenshaw and Woodland Hills. Finally, I will share my thoughts on what our government officials can learn by watching this film.
I consider Akeelah to be a hero because this 11 year old girl was able to unite a community and bring them together. This girl who was afraid of being a book worm around her friends and classmates and was teased and picked on eventually was able to gather help from everyone around her. In doing so the community became as close as family. it didn’t matter what race or background the only goal for the community was to help Akeelah win the bee and support her all the way.
Like any hero, Akeelah must face her challenges. First, it’s dangerous to be a geek because the other kids will beat you up. Next, the coach her school has convinced into helping has his own issues and to overcome. Then there’s Akeelah’s mom who doesn’t have the time or energy to devote to her daughter because she’s trying to keep gangsta-boy out of trouble and hold down her job. Even once she makes it through the first bee, there’s the whole world of the white spell-o-rama competition. And of course, it’s not just that the white kids have a better school and spelling but they have better clothes, books, and don’t have to take an bus ride to get to practice. Akeelah shows us how tough it is for all kids to balance family, friendships, identity, education, and talent.
The character Javier has all the traits and characteristics to become a great leader. Even though he comes from a better background he never judged Akeelah as a person because of where she lived or what school she came from. Javier seems like a very selfless and charismatic person. He was in the spelling to win but it he didn’t take it too seriously that he went overboard like the Asian kid. Javier’s actions were very motivating and he always helped Akeela out even though they were competing against each other. And most importantly he was never judgmental. This is what makes him a great leader.
The differences between Crenshaw and Woodland Hills are mainly the resources. Crenshaw could not even afford doors in their bathroom stalls let alone books and advanced classes like Latin while Woodland Hills was full of resources. That school has study groups, new books, nicer class rooms; it’s just all around a better school. Also the families over in Woodland Hills are wealthier and well off while the families from Crenshaw are low income.
If government officials were to watch this film they would learn so much about the difficulties in communities and schools that are not fully funded. There are so many under privileged kids that have the motivational drive and intellectual skills but no funding in the school system. If these schools were to be funded properly these kids would have a lot less challenges to face and may have the proper education to make a difference in our society.
In conclusion, Akeela is a hero for uniting the community. She Faced Many Challenges such as being teased and bullied. Javier has many characteristics to be a great leader such as selflessness, charisma, motivational actions, and being non-judgmental. The differences between Woodland Hills and Crenshaw are the resources and the family incomes in the community. Finally government officials can learn that under privileged schools still have students with motivational drive and intellectual skills; they just need the resources and funding to be invested into the school system.