BP Period 2 says:

Ryan White was not a person who was easily put down. When he wanted to go back to school and the school and parents didn’t want him to come back he took them to court and kept fighting for the right to go back to school. Also when he found out he had AIDS on top of hemophilia he kept battling and battling to get better he never gave up and was never put down.

Harriet Tubman was an African-American who escaped slavery and helped free over 300 slaves to freedom. She like Ryan never gave up. When the lead weight hit her over the head she recovered and she got right back to helping to free slaves. Also when she hid away in the back of a framers wagon to become free. She went through all that trouble to become free and if she was caught then should wouldn’t be put down and won’t give up because she was most of many slaves to be brave.

  HR-Period 1 says: says:

Ryan White and Harriet Tubman were both very important people who many look up upon and became a big deal in history. They faced major problems in their time, but never let that get in their way of fighting for their rights and freedom. They were going to stick up for themselves and their people and not give up throughout their difficulties no matter how emotional or hard it must have been.
Ryan White was one of the first AIDS victims. At his time AIDS was just being recognized and many people didn’t know so much about it. Ryan and many other victims came face to face with discrimination. He wasn’t allowed back to school; he had to use different facilities as others, and was shunned by many other people. He knew as much as the doctors did about AIDS, and he needed to prove to people that they were true. He stood up for him and many others like him. He felt that there was no reason for all the discrimination, and he wasn’t going to accept it; instead, he was going to fight and not give up. He was an inspiration to many and he was looked up to.
Harriet Tubman was an African-American living at the time of slavery. She was like Ryan in many ways. She stood up for people like her and never gave up. She also came face to face with discrimination and was not going to accept, but fight for her and her people. She escaped and guided over three hundred slaves to freedom as far North as Canada. She was a very willful woman and there was nothing that was going to put her down. Another way she was like was that she inspired thousands of people.

  GF Period 3 says:

Harriet Tubman and Ryan White are both amazing individuals. They both achieved many things in their lifetime and overcame many unyielding obstacles. Throughout the longevity of each of their lives they both were persistent with what they believed and strived constantly to either convey the facts to people or actually convey people. They each put up with all the recurring discrimination and derogatory remarks.
Ryan White is an admirable figure to many people back in his day and some still today. Ryan grew up with hemophilia. Hemophilia is a genetic distortion in your genes. When you get one gene with the mutated chromosome then you will be affected. Ryan was the first in his family to receive this disease, so his case was far worse than usual. To prevent Ryan from bleeding to death he was given a clotting drug that was called Factor VIII. Factor VIII would assist Ryan’s body to help his blood clot normally. In one of Ryan’s batches of Factor VIII there was infected blood from one of the thousands of people’s blood in the one dose, so Ryan contracted the AIDS virus. When Ryan was just a child and was first told that he had AIDS, he did not give up. Ryan said from that moment on that he was going to fight his disease or die trying. Ryan fought through the school workers, students, and most importantly the Concerned Citizens Committee. I also agree with SC Period 1, the fact that Ryan not only fought for his right to go back to school but that with each and every day that passed by he had to fight for his life. Also, Ryan was discriminated against because at this time the gay minority was contracting AIDS. Ryan was discriminated against called gay, a homo, and a faggot. His locker was vandalized with harsh words, some of which he didn’t even know the meaning.
Harriet Tubman is one of the more essential figures in our history. Harriet freed almost three hundred slaves and made nineteen trips to the south. Harriet was born a slave but escaped the clutches of her master and sought out to the same for many others. Harriet was actually referred to as “Moses”. This is relation to Moses from the biblical meaning. According to the book of Exodus, Moses led many along with himself when he crossed the Red Sea to get away from the predominant powers. This is relevant to Harriet Tubman because she med many to freedom in Canada away from the prevailing powers. Harriet Tubman fought through the discrimination against the minority of blacks and the slavery they went through. Both of these historical figures are respectable in a great way. In my mind they will be remembered forever.

  CF- Period 3 says:

In both of the nonfiction short stories that we have read this unit, Ryan White: My Own Story, and “ Harriet Tubman: Guide to Freedom”, there were similarities between the main characters. These characters showed tenacity, had an indomitable spirit and were not easily discouraged.
Ryan White was thirteen years old when he was diagnosed with AIDS. At this time, not much was known about the disease; therefore, people were terrified. Ryan was not allowed to go to school after the diagnosis, despite the fact that he really wanted to return. Ryan was very strong with his battle with AIDS and the discrimination he faced. Ryan’s mother Jeanne took the school district to court, and eventually won. Ryan and his mother fought until he was finally allowed to return to school. Ryan returning to school had people on edge because they feared they would catch the disease. People started rumors about Ryan. For instance, it was said that he spit on food in the grocery store; this made people think that they were going to catch the disease. Most of the things that were said about Ryan were false, but he didn’t give up; his desire to live as normal as possible showed. Ryan overcame many obstacles by showing persistent determination, not giving up and not being easily discouraged.
Harriet Tubman was born into slavery along the eastern shore of Maryland. Harriet was called “Moses” because she helped free so many slaves. Harriet Tubman made the impossible possible. She freed about three hundred slaves. Although there was a chance of her getting caught, she was determined and successful. On one trip to Canada to free slaves, Harriet took eleven slaves with her and if they were caught, the eleven would be whipped and sold further south and Harriet would be hung. She, as well, displayed great tenacity and indomitable spirit. She never gave up and was determined to free the slaves. Harriet was an inspiration to slaves and abolitionists. Although Harriet Tubman and Ryan White were from different time period, had different challenges, they both face discrimination, and they were both able to better the lives of others.

  JM Period 3 says:

As we know from reading both of these selections, both Harriet Tubman and Ryan White were discriminated against. In Harriet Tubman’s case, African-Americans were discriminated against by the whites, and in Ryan White’s case, he was discriminated against by his whole town. But even when being turned against by their town or even another race, it never stopped either of these inspiring heroes.
Harriet Tubman was a woman who had been through a lot in her childhood, but when she heard of being sold further south, she took a chance and escaped, knowing it was one she might one day regret. Harriet Tubman didn’t stop there because after she had escaped and reached the freedom she had longed for since her childhood, she went back to lead more than three hundred other slaves to freedom. Back in the time that Harriet Tubman was alive, she didn’t just face discrimination, but she was treated and thought of as nothing more than a piece of property. Throughout her fight to lead more slaves to freedom she was wanted by many white people and they even offered rewards for anyone who could find her. Still, Harriet never gave up and continued to lead slaves to freedom.
Ryan White was a boy who was born with hemophilia. Throughout his childhood he heard about a fatal disease that had been spreading across the United States. Due to his hemophilia, Ryan had to get injections of Factor VIII to help his blood clot normally. It was made up of thousands of other people’s blood and it was the Factor, the thing that allowed him to live such a normal life, which gave him the AIDS. At thirteen years old Ryan was told he wouldn’t live more than six months, but he continued to fight and lived an astonishing five years. Because so little was known about AIDS during this time, people began to panic. The people in his town ostracized Ryan, and made up nasty rumors about him. They even banned him form attending school. Even when he was being tortured by the people in his community, he not only had the energy to fight his disease but also improve the lives of others living with it. He traveled across the world to speak out about his disease and to teach people how it could and could not be spread.
As you can see, both Harriet and Ryan were amazing people who fought for what was right even when being discriminated against themselves. They both had different challenges, but even when told they could be recaptured or even die, they fought to improve the lives of others.

  DG Period 1 says:

Both Ryan White and Harriet Tubman are two very important people in our history who had overcome many obstacles to obtain what they desired and what they thought was right. Although they were very different, they both had an outstanding drive to overcome no matter what came in their way and to prove that discriminations and biases wrong.
Harriet was a civil rights activist and a so-called leader on the UGRR. As a young girl, her strong ambitions and visions of freedom were very noticeable. An example of her courageousness, she even helped a fellow slave escape when one was almost caught, yet she stood in front of the door and withstood a heavy lead weight. After her own escape, Tubman returned numerous times to the South to help fellow slaves secure their own freedom in Canada. Even though there were many dangers of all of these trips back and forth, Harriet somehow made her way back and forth from Canada to the South without being discovered. Also, she never lost anyone while on these excursions. In the end, Harriet showed her true courage, tenacity, and strong will for the enslaved people of the South by helping many escape to a place where they could truly say that they were free.
Even though Ryan White lived long after Harriet Tubman had, he also displayed an unflagging spirit against the discrimination of minorities. Even Ryan was considered a minority, he was a Caucasian boy with a middle class family consisting of his sister and his mother, but since he had contracted AIDS from Factor, he was seen as a minority to the public eye. Ryan’s will to overcome the discrimination against victims jut like him led him to suffer many problems and obstacles on his journey to fight for what was right. He had to go through many court cases, and speeches to fight for what in his mind was right. No matter how long Ryan had lived in Kokomo, everyone would still discriminate and be very biased against him. Ryan showed his determination and non-stop fight not only in these situations, but also in his everyday life. Although Ryan had to fight his illnesses everyday, he was a role model to all and showed that even with all of these chronic problems, you can still enjoy your everyday life even with AIDS. Although Ryan’s fight was ended short when he had died in 1990, It was because of his contributions to the AIDS society that changed the minds of many Americans for the better in being more willing to comprehend AIDS and the victims everywhere. Even though he is not still here today, Ryan White stays in our hearts and still shows America today that no matter what, you can overcome any obstacles you need to overcome to get what you want in life.

  LC Per.1 says:

From both of the stories that we have read this year included Ryan White, in town of Kokomo and “ Harriet Tubman: Guide to Freedom” in the fields of Maryland. Both of these stories had similarities. Some similarities they had were they were never discouraged and had a sweat heart for other people and them self’s.
Ryan White was diagnosed with a disease that was AIDS. He was only 13 and the doctors didn’t know much about this so they were very nervous. When he first was diagnosed with AIDS the school district found out about him and said he could not return. Even though Ryan had the strength and courage to come back unlike some students, they would simply not let him. Ryan’s mother, Jeanne, and Ryan went to court to fight for their justice. After a few months of fighting they finally won the fight. Ryan had a lot of discrimination and mean things said to him. For instance, when he was in school in his locker it had very unpleasant words that were said. Even though all those words and sayings were said Ryan never gave up, he over came his fear and didn’t care what anyone said. He traveled through huge obstacles and met his goals.
Harriet Tubman had a very important name,” Moses”, because she helped free so many slaves into freedom. Harriet was sold into slavery when she was a little girl on the border of Maryland. Also, when she was little she was helping someone escape and stood in the door way and a 5 lbs. weight was thrown at her head and she suffered a fractured skull and bruises but that did not stop her helping. One day Harriet decided to escape, so she did and she didn’t go alone, she took eleven slaves along with her. Harriet knew if they were caught they would be whipped and sold more south and Harriet would be hung, but that sis not stop her. On this very long journey, shelters were called “safe houses”. You could tell if it was a safe house or not, if it had a lantern at the end of the walk way or not. The code would be “a friend of friends”. In these houses you get feed and have a place to get warm and start traveling again. They would fallow the North Star, at night, therefore; it was harder for the guards to find you. Harriet sonly made it to Canada and lived a happy life, she entered discrimination also. Although Ryan White and Harriet Tubman came from different time periods they entered challenges and proceeded through them .

  NF- Period 2 says:

In the two nonfictional stories we read, there are similarities throughout the main characters. Harriet Tubman from the story “Harriet Tubman: Guide to Freedom” and Ryan White from the story Ryan White: My Own Story are very similar characters. Both Ryan White and Harriet Tubman were activists who impacted our nation. They thrived for freedom and their rights in two totally different ways. Their incentives and indomitable spirits made both figures major achievers.

Ryan White was a hemophiliac who had contracted AIDS from a contaminated blood transfusion. Ryan White went through so much internal and external pain. The external pain was all the diseases and viruses he had conflicted from AIDS. The internal pain was from all ignorant people’s rude comments and actions toward Ryan’s contraction of AIDS. When Ryan came out of the hospital and was feeling better, he wanted to go back to school more than anything. However, the school district and principal didn’t allow him to because everyone was afraid of contracting AIDS from face to face contact. Ever since then, Ryan stood up for his right to go back to school and his right to be a normal child like everyone else. Ryan’s indomitable spirit kept him and even his family going. Through all the illnesses from AIDS, it didn’t slow down Ryan. He finally got in school and he started to talk out to congregations about AIDS and how you can catch it. Ryan accomplished so much in his short life span. His incentive was to teach as many people about AIDS as possible so they weren’t so ignorant and clueless, and also to stand up for all AIDS patient’s rights and to show them he could be a normal child. Ryan White was an AIDS patient activist. I agree with SC- period 1 and GF- period 3 that Ryan had to fight against the school board and for his life every day.

Harriet Tubman, a civil rights activist, who escaped from slavery in the nineteenth century. She lived in the time of segregation of African Americans. Harriet Tubman led nineteen trips from the south to the north and delivered at least three hundred slaves to freedom. Her nickname was “Moses” because she freed so many slaves from the south. On the Underground Railroad, Harriet and the fugitives had to face hunger, thrist, extreme temperatures, and the fear of people caught by slave catchers. The virtual journey showed me an example of how long and hard her journey from the south to the north really was. Harriet’s indomitable spirit kept her going from one liberation to another. She never lost one slave and was successful in every escape. Harriet’s incentive was to bring as many slaves to freedom as possible.

As you can see, Ryan White and Harriet Tubman were two predominant activists. Both were very important contributions to the society of their time periods. Both figures will be respected and remembered in the most meaningful way.

  CC Per. 1 says:

Ryan White and Harriet Tubman both had some tough times in their life but never gave up. They were never easily put down and they both fought for their own rights, for Ryan it was to go back to school and for Harriet it was to be free from slavery.

Ryan White was one of the first AIDS victums and AIDS was a new deadly disease that everyone was scared of so when people found out about Ryan having AIDS people started making fun of him and putting him down. That never stopped Ryan he wanted to have his own rights and treated like someone without AIDS. Even though they wouldn’t let him go back to school, he still never gave up until he was able to go back and be a normal kid. He didn’t only fight for his own rights he fought to help anyone with AIDS have their own rights and not be treated like him. That is something that Harriet and Ryan have in common they both wanted to help them-selves and others.

Harriet Tubman was an African- American slave who was not easily discouragd and never gave up on anything sh eput her mind to. She had many visions of freedom, and when she got to Canada, she went back to help other slaves escape to Canada. She cared for all the other slaves that she was willing to go back and save all the slaves. These trips had some opstacles she never lost a slave and made sure no one was left behind. She risked her life to save a slave once and when the whites were going to through a heavy lead weight on a slave she stepped infront and had the lead weight dropped right on her head. That showed that she wasn’t going to let anything stop her from saving the slaves and guiding them to freedom. Harriet and Ryan both fought for what they think was fair and never let anything stop them. HTey did have some trouble and challenges but they never let them get in the way. They were both strong people and were a big part of history.

  AC Period 1 says:

Ryan White and Harriet Tubman were both two amazing and outstanding people qho made amazing contributions to American society, but they also had to overcome many obstacles to really touch the hearts of Americans.

Ryan White was first born with a severe case of Hemophilia, which is when your blood doesn’t clot normally and Ryan had to take Factor, a medicine to help your blood clot normally, though this didn’t even phase him. He tried to do everything anyone else could do, like play sports and just have a good time. Ryan would have a lot of bleeds or bleeding under his skin or a cut, and would have to be injected with Factor to help his blood clot, but this was nothing to Ryan. In 1984 Ryan was diagnosed with a new deadly disease called AIDS and the doctors said he had gotten it from his contaminated Facctor. They said Ryan didn’t have much time to live, but he would prove them wrong. At the time, AIDS wasn’t understood very well by society, for example the people in Kokomo were very skeptical about Ryan’s disease and thought they could catch the disease from Ryan by just hanging out with him, so they wouldn’t let him go to school. Ryan faught all his life, he got lawyers, went to court and gave many speeches about AIDS. Eventually Ryan had the right to go back to school in Kokomo and also when he moved to Cicero. While Ryan had AIDS, he was alsways sick, so imagine being a hemophiliac, having AIDS, which makes you sick all of the time and is life threatining, and being critisized and made fun of by your whole town. Well, Ryan overcame all of this and changed the minds of many, not just in Kokomo, but around the world.

Harriet Tubman was also a amazing person too. As a child, Harriet was a slave during the early 1800’s. She was beaten and whipped and didn;t know what to do. When she was an adolescent, she was sent by her owner to a store, on the way, she encountered a slave who had left his owner without permission. His owner, demanded that Harriet aprehend the slave, but she wouldn’t, so the owner threw a heavy weight at the slave and Harriet jumped infront and the weight struck her instead. To this day, she still has seizures from the weight. As she got older, she was tired of being beaten everyday and she escaped. After she escaped, through the UGRR, she had to travel hundreds of miles through the woods and swamps, with minimal to no food at some points, little attire and very worn or no shoes. After she was finally free, she joined the UGRR. She would go down to the plantations and rescue slaves, and guide them through freedom, just like how she escaped. Harriet started to aquire the nickname “Moses” because of how she would guide slaves to freedom, like Moses guided the Jewish people across the desert. Harriet made many trips to rescue slaves and rescued hundreds, and was most famous for when she rescued eleven at once. Overall, in different ways, both Harriet Tubman and Ryan White were amazing people, who ohad to overcome many obstacles to help the world.

  JAM Period 2 says:

Harriet Tubman and Ryan White were both very brave and showed their courage by helping others. They also didn’t give up easily. Ryan had to deal with being a hemophiliac and getting AIDS, and Harriet Tubman had to overcome slavery.

When Ryan was faced with the challenge of overcoming AIDS, he met it head on. No matter what other people told him, he never stopped fighting. He even told his doctor that he bet he could live with AIDS for five years or die trying. Ryan White was someone you could look up to because he held on to hope despite the people trying to discourage him. He and his lawyer fought the school board so that he could have the same rights as every other student even though he had AIDS. The school was afraid that they could catch the disease from him, so they tried to prevent him from entering the school. He eventually was able to get in, but the struggle went on for a long time. He later moved to Cicero after realizing that Kokomo wasn’t where he wanted to live the rest of his life. After he moved he kept speaking up. He talked to a lot of kids and educated them about AIDS. Ryan was able to live a good life because he didn’t let his disease defeat him like some of the other AIDS patients did.

Harriet Tubman had an indomitable spirit, just like Ryan, because she was able to do so much for her people during the 1800’s. She saved hundreds of slaves, and was an extremely helpful woman in African-Americans’ struggle for freedom. Even after she escaped slavery, she went back to save others. She journeyed hundreds of miles and took some of them all the way to Canada. The journey itself must have been extremely challenging, but to go back several times is a great achievement. Harriet was an amazing woman who did so much to help slaves.

  EC- period 1 says:

In both of the two non-fiction selections we have read and discussed in class so far, “Harriet Tubman: Guide to Freedom” and Ryan White: My Own Story, the main characters were very similar. Harriet Tubman and Ryan White were two amazing individuals in their times. They both faced obstacles which made their lives difficult; however, they were able to keep on going to fight for what they believed in. They were not easily put down, and they were not about to give up.
Harriet Tubman was an African-American woman who had escaped slavery as a child, as well as a civil rights activist. In her life time, she accomplished a variety of great things that made her a wonderful person. First, in her nineteen trips to the South, she helped over three hundred slaves escape to freedom along the Underground Railroad. Harriet and the owners of the safe houses along the Underground Railroad risked her life to help others to be free. She acted as a savior for African-Americans, guiding them as far north as Canada and then granting to them a new life to start on their own as citizens, not just someone’s property. She showed the fugitives that they had value, and were worth something to other people. Harriet was even nicknamed “Moses”, because she led the runaways to freedom, just as Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt to freedom. In addition, along her journeys she faced cold, hunger, and of course, the risk of being recaptured and facing harsh and cruel consequences. Harriet Tubman was perhaps one of the greatest, most courageous, brave women in our entire history, and she set the example for others that if you work hard enough, you can overcome any obstacle or problem you may face, and it will all be worth it in the end.
Another brave and inspiring historical figure of great importance was Ryan White. Ryan was born a severe hemophiliac, and he was diagnosed with AIDS at the age of only thirteen. He faced extreme discrimination in his community of Kokomo, Indiana, and he was shunned by many and also not allowed to attend school. However, Ryan was still able to push forward to reach what he wanted. His goal was to teach others about AIDS, so that any kids in the future who had AIDS just like him would be treated better than he was. Throughout his fight to get back in school and his fight for life itself, he always maintained an indomitable spirit. Many times, Ryan’s efforts proved unsuccessful, but in the end, they were important because he improved the life of other AIDS victims for generations to come. Despite his many failures, when he was sick or in court, Ryan and his family kept their spirits up. Even when people he knew for his entire life let him down, he kept on trying his best to live his life to the fullest. Ryan demonstrated perseverance and courage, showing others what it meant to be a true hero. I believe that he was a hero because he changed the way millions of people felt about AIDS, and made people aware of what AIDS victims experienced.
Finally, Ryan White and Harriet Tubman were seen as very important people in their times. The fact that they are still remembered today proves that they had a huge impact on the way the history of our nation was shaped. Ryan and Harriet set examples for others by trying to eliminate the racism or discrimination which they viewed as unfair, cruel, and inexcusable. I think that these two individuals are both selfless and inspirational leaders of their times, and that we can learn a lot by following their examples to achieve greatness and improve the lives of others.

  EG Period 2 says:

In both of these non-fiction selections, Ryan White and Harriet Tubman were discriminated against. Ryan White was discriminated against because of his AIDS. Harriet Tubman was discriminated against because she was African American. Yet, both of them didn’t give up, and even helped others too.
Ryan White contracted AIDS from a blood transfusion. This disease was new when he contracted it. Ryan was very positive, and would not give up. He would always think of things to keep him going. Harriet Tubman also never gave up. She led slaves through the Underground Railroad to freedom. This was a long and difficult journey, and many of the runaway slaves she was taking wanted to go home. She would not let them give up, she would talk about what freedom is like to the slaves to keep them going. Also, Harriet Tubman and Ryan White helped people. Ryan White spoke for AIDS, and taught kids about it. When he died, his mom started The Ryan White Foundation. Harriet Tubman made two trips a year to help free slaves. Even though she was already free, she risked her life to save others. Ryan White and Harriet Tubman were both heavily discriminated against. In Kokomo, people spread rumors about the White family, shot a bullet through their window, and even made a petition to keep Ryan out of school. Harriet Tubman was a slave just because of her color.

  CJ Period 3 says:

Both Ryan White and Harriet Tubman were activists who faced discrimination and many obstacles. They had incredible courage and spirit. However, they faced different kinds of discrimination and overcame it in different ways. Ryan White grew up as a normal kid. It wasn’t until he contracted AIDS that he faced discrimination. Even then, people only discriminated against him because of their fear. Once White moved to a new town, he discovered that not everyone was biased. Once people began to understand White’s disease and illness, they accepted him. Harriet Tubman’s case of discrimination was very different. She was born into racism and her people suffered because of only their skin color. They suffered racism for their entire life with absolutely no reason. The only thing that differentiated them from their tormentors was their outsides; their skin color. Ryan White was the exact opposite; his only difference was his insides; his AIDS.
The way that Harriet Tubman and Ryan White dealt with their discrimination was also very different. Ryan White chose to have a voice and speak out. White spoke out to show people the truth about AIDS, and discrimination. He went on national news stations and spoke in front of thousands of people. He died fighting for the end of AIDS. Harriet Tubman, on the other hand, chose to be a ghost, always there but never there. She was known simply as ‘Moses’ and no one really knew who she was. She showed incredible bravery, leading many people out of slavery. During the Civil War she again fought for the freedom of her people, leading many missions and saving the lives of many soldiers. She showed an indomitable spirit that could never be broken, just like White. Both Tubman and White were heroes, but in different respects. Ryan White dared to speak out, and show that discrimination is something that occurred everywhere. Harriet Tubman chose to lead her people in quietness, never giving away anything about herself. She worked her entire life to make sure that everyone’s lives would be better.

  NIJ says:

As can be seen from both selections read in class, Harriet Tubman and Ryan White had a major impact on society. They fought through discrimination towards blacks and people diagnosed with AIDS. In my opinion, they are both truly inspirational, donating their time for the better of others. Harriet and Ryan both overcame several obstacles as well as devoted much time and effort into the cause. They deserve recognition and praise for their accomplishments, persevering through hardships no matter how many times they had been put down. Below are some ways how Ryan and Harriet made a difference and had an impact on the lives of others.

Harriet Tubman was a fugitive slave who developed the Underground Railroad, a network of paths that led through a journey of hardships until reaching Canada to freedom for those slaves. She helped 300 people escape to freedom. As a child, she worked at a plantation in Maryland. She was hired as a domestic servant at the age of 5. She slept on the kitchen floor and shared table scraps with her master’s dogs. She was required to work long hours at tasks that someone else decided. Her three brothers were sent in chains to the far south and were being sold. Harriet knew that at this point, she had to take action. She assured her brothers she could guide them but was not successful at this attempt. They decided to turn back. After this experience, Harriet was determined and knew she had to complete the entire journey. Harriet therefore devised a plan, using coded messages and singing spirituals in order to communicate with other slaves. She trudged through hundreds of miles of forest through the U.R. while in the darkness of the night, at every moment being cautious and sneaky, making sure not to be captured. Although the trip was long and hard, it was definitely worth while. Harriet moved to St. Catharine’s, Canada. Clearly, Harriet was a major activist for the rights of blacks.

Ryan White was also a major activist for the rights of people with AIDS. He was treated so badly at the beginning in the community at Kokomo. Neighbors were rude, scared, unwilling for their children to go to school with Ryan due to his AIDS. Even though doctors guaranteed that the disease was not airborne, only transmitted through blood which was highly unlikely, people were still not convinced. The disease was so new. Ryan and his mother faced terrible discrimination. At one point, Jeanne states that she believed she felt how it was to be discriminated against, just like the blacks. People would not shake Ryan’s hand at church. They gave him disposable plates and forks at the diner. Someone shot a bullet through the Whites’s window. The school didn’t want Ryan. Parents petitioned against Ryan returning to school. When Ryan fought at court with his lawyer, he got back in, but then parents were taking out their children from school. His girlfriend broke up with him because of his AIDS. Even his favorite teacher didn’t want him at school. He was talked about badly on the radio. His last straw was pulled when kids at school put signs all over his locker with inappropriate comments accusing him of being gay. Ryan White had to bear through a lot of obstacles. At the end, Ryan moved to Cicero. People were much more kinder. The school had an AIDS education program so kids knew how the virus could and couldn’t be transmitted. Ryan was popular, too. The Ryan White movie was created in honor of him. He met many celebrities. Life became a lot better. Ryan made speeches and attended many programs fighting for the rights of AIDS patients.

  AS Period 2 says:

Harriet Tubman and Ryan White were two incredible people. Though they have their differences, they both had an indomitable spirit and were never discouraged or gave up. Ryan and Harriet accomplished a lot during their lives and overcame many obstacles.
Ryan White was born with hemophilia, a disorder occurring in males, in which the blood clots much more slowly than normal. This results in extensive bleeding even from minor injuries. When he was thirteen he was diagnosed with AIDS. He was infected with a contaminated blood transfusion. Once he was diagnosed he went through a lot of discrimination. An example of this is when Ryan wanted to go back to school, but he couldn’t. Parents made a petition saying that he shouldn’t be able to go back to school because of his disease. He was denied the right to go to school, but then fought in court and finally won. He was called offensive names, and his locker was vandalized. To get rid of the situation his family moved to Cicero.
Harriet Tubman was an African-American born a slave, but escaped to freedom. She made nineteen trips to the south and helped more than three hundred slaves. She was called “Moses” because she, just like Moses led people to freedom. She had an indomitable spirit because she never gave up. She went through cold winter nights with no food, shelter, or warmth. It never stopped her from accomplishing her objective, which was to free as many slaves as she could.

  MR Period 2 says:

Ryan White and Harriet Tubman were alike in many ways, even though they came from different centuries. Ryan had hemophilia which is a disease that doesn’t allow your blood to clot normally. Ryan had to take many blood transfusions, which sometimes hurt him. Later on we find out that Ryan has AIDS. Ryan had received the disease from his blood transfusions, Factor VIII. AIDS usually makes you tired and weak, but Ryan was always in high spirits; and when he couldn’t attend school his attitude was indomitable because he had his mind set to returning. Many celebrities reached out to the White family and helped them out. Many people who were close to Ryan understood how you could get AIDS, but much of the neighbor wanted the White’s to leave because they didn’t want their children to contract AIDS. Ryan went through a lot of discrimination, but it didn’t faze him; he just looked the other way.
Harriet Tubman was an African American woman who escaped slavery. She helped guide runaway slaves through the Underground Railroad. Her incentive was to lead the slaves to freedom. Harriet’s attitude was indomitable because if she couldn’t stay at someone’s house because she had to many runaway slaves, she kept going, hoping for the best. Harriet showed that she was predominant because she carried a gun with her when she made her trips. If one of the runaway slaves wanted to go back to their owners, Harriet threatened them with her gun because the owners would make them tell them where the paths were.

  BM-Period 1 says:

Both Ryan White and Harriet Tubman are two influential people that were important to American History. They both had faced serious discrimination but on two different levels. Ryan White and Harriet Tubman had a great amount of strength and courage to lead them to what they had accomplished today. They had fought for themselves and others which truly made them heroes today.

Ryan White was a serious hemophiliac who had contracted AIDS from a blood transfusion. People had known very little about Ryan’s disease and were very afraid of what it could do. Since there was no treatment, he would have to live the rest of his short life with many judge mental people. Ryan White had experienced so much throughout his life. He had been discriminated against, made fun of, and even forced out of his own town. He had fought for the lives of other AIDS patients and showed adults and kids that people with AIDS are no different from any other human being. Sure, they have a disease but they can do just as much as any “normal”, healthy person. He had been on TV shows, traveled, and even spoke about his uncommon disease. If you ask me, he was greater than any “normal” child. He did ten times more than what any ordinary child could do. He was a hero and should have been treated as if he was famous. He was an idol to every AIDS patient because he gave them hope to believe that they will live.

Harriet Tubman was an African American slave who had grown up with choices that wasn’t her own. She had experienced many hardships just like Ryan White had. She was a civil rights activist and saved many lives. Harriet had discovered the UGRR which was a network of paths that had led African American slaves to freedom. She had brought three hundred plus people to freedom from the south. This heroic figure had been known as “Moses”. As you know Moses had lead the Jews out of Egypt to the promise land, Harriet Tubman had taken the slaves from slavery down south all the way up north. Throughout her lifetime she had made nineteen trips. Each trip was successful and know one ever decided to return south, they may have though about it but Harriet had threatened them with a gun and they continued to move along.

  JF-Period 3 says:

In the non-fiction selections that we have read we have come across two characters that were faced with discrimination and remained unfazed. This showed an immense amount of courage and determination The first character we were introduced to was Ryan White. Ryan had AIDS and his entire town was up in arms when they found out. They were afraid that if their children went to the same school as Ryan that they would become infected too. The other reason they were scared was from rumors that others had spread about Ryan, like that he spit on the vegetables in the food market. Ryan had to fight to get his right to go to school and soon after he did win he was forced out of town by the ridicule. The second character that was shown to us in the non-fiction unit was Harriet Tubman who was a conductor on the underground railroad. She was born into slavery in the Antebellum South and was enslaved because she was black, discrimination at its worst.
These two were similar because they did not only seek better for themselves but wanted better for others too. Ryan assisted others AIDS victims by publicly speaking and protesting. Harriet helped other slaves by returning to the south to guide more to freedom. Also they were both discriminated against because of the misinformed people who thought that they were any less human because of their differences.

  MLS Period 2 says:

In the two nonfiction selections we read, the main characters, Harriet Tubman and Ryan White, had an indomitable spirit to continue their work in rebellion against discrimination. Even though these two influential people battled discrimination, they were not discriminated against for the same thing.

Harriet Tubman was a civil rights activist and a conductor on the Underground Railroad. She had an indomitable spirit because she never gave up and always tried to help others. When she was a little girl, she saved a slave that was running away by jumping in front of the slave and getting hit in the head with a cinder block. When she was a conductor on the Underground Railroad she even carried a gun with her to make sure that non of the slaves tried to run away back to their owners. She wanted to show them that it is all worth it when they get to freedom. Even when the slave owners put out posters and rewards for anyone who found their slaves and sent out people to capture their slaves, Harriet did not give up. She continued her many journeys on the Underground Railroad. Harriet also faced many other difficulties, such as bloodhounds and the consequences of being caught. The bloodhounds were very vicious and scared most, if not all, the runaway slaves. Harriet knew that if they were caught the runaways would be put to much harder work and she probably would have been hung. She was willing to make that risk, just to get the runaways to freedom. That shows how headstrong she was and how much she cared for the safety and protection of the runaways. She successfully got the slaves to freedom in the North; and she did this many times. She is a great person in history that will always be remembered for the great things she accomplished.

Even though Ryan White lived almost a century after Harriet Tubman, he still showed a great spirit against discrimination and never gave up. Ryan White was a 13 year old boy that had contracted AIDS from a blood transfusion. Ryan White did battle the struggles of having AIDS, such as feeling sick, tired, etc., but he also battled the ignorant people’s rude comments. He was teased and taunted everywhere he went. He tried to explain to the world that you can’t “catch” AIDS from just sitting in the same room as some one, (an air born disease). However, people were very ignorant towards Ryan because AIDS was a new disease that many did not have knowledge of. Ryan made speeches, went on television, etc., but many people didn’t listen. A couple celebrities helped Ryan and his family through this tough time because they knew that you couldn’t “catch” AIDS from just being near Ryan. Just like Harriet Tubman, he did not give up and kept his head high. Ryan knew that everyone wasn’t going to listen to him, but he kept trying and trying to help them understand what AIDS is. When Ryan moved to Cicero he was glad to see that the kids there were friendly and not discriminative towards him or his family. I think watching the video Ryan White: My Own Story helped the class visualize what he went through, just as the virtual journey did about Harriet Tubman (and other activists).

As you can see, Harriet Tubman and Ryan White were two very influential people in America’s history. Even though their battles were in different centuries and pertained to different things they still accomplished a lot. They may not have been that well respected in their time, but they certainly are now. They will always be remembered for the wonderful things they accomplished and the legacy they left behind.

  GB- Period 1 says:

In the two nonfiction stories we have read in class, both have similarities throughout the main characters. The two main characters in the story’s we have read are Ryan White from the story Ryan White: My Own Story and Harriet Tubman from the story “Harriet Tubman: Guide to Freedom”. In both of these nonfiction selections, Ryan White and Harriet Tubman were activists and also discriminated against. The discrimination they faced was different from one another, Ryan White was discriminated against because of his AIDS. Harriet Tubman was discriminated against because she was African American. Both Ryan White and Harriet Tubman kept going in their lives they did not give up and always went for the future.

Ryan White contracted AIDS from a blood transfusion that he needs to get, to help his hemophilia. When the doctors discovered that Ryan has contracted AIDS, the disease was new and not much was known about it. Ryan White was very positive throughout the time he had been sick, he never gave up, he always was positive. Harriet Tubman also never gave up. She led slaves to freedom through the Underground Railroad. Leading the slave to freedom took a long difficult journey though the Underground Railroad. Within this long and difficult journey, many of the runaway slaves she was taking to freedom helping them escape wanted to turn back and go home. Harriet wouldn’t let them give up, she told the runaways about and how good it is to keep the slaves looking forward to something.

Ryan White and Harriet Tubman helped people. Ryan White did help people by telling them about AIDS and what it did. He answered the questions people had about the disease. When Ryan died, his mom started The Ryan White Foundation which helped other people’s children or family members that have contracted the disease to have someone to talk to. Harriet Tubman made two trips a year in the spring and fall to lead the slaves to freedom. Even though Harriet Tubman was already free, she risked her life to save others and set them free. Ryan White and Harriet Tubman were both discriminated against. With the discrimination came the way they were treated. Ryan was kept out of school because of his AIDS. People thought that they could contract AIDS by casual contact. If Ryan came near people they would back away from him making him uncomfortable. Harriet Tubman was treated different because of her color. She was a slave, broke free, and helped others to do the same thing and give others a better life free from slavery.

  LK Period 3 says:

They were two different people living in two different time periods, but they both had something in common. They were minorities who had indomitable spirits. I’m talking about two prominent figures in this country’s history: Ryan White and Harriet Tubman. Both of these people faced many obstacles, but that didn’t stop them. They fought and fought to help others.

Ryan White was diagnosed with having AIDS at a very young age. He was a severe hemophiliac ever since he was born, and ever since he was born he needed blood transfusions called Factor VIII. Factor a clotting agent in it to clot Ryan’s blood. One day while he was getting a blood transfusion by his mom, he didn’t realize it, but that Factor was contaminated with AIDS. Ever since then, people have rejected him for having AIDS even tough it was not transferable through casual contact. For years and years Ryan struggled against discrimination, but when he died he had left a great impact on the world. He has educated many people about AIDS and never gave up helping others with AIDS.

Harriet Tubman was a slave when she was young, but one day, she escaped to the North. That wasn’t the end for Harriet. She came back and rescued her family, but she still didn’t stop. For the next years, she spent her time traveling to Canada from the South, and visa versa. The trip was rough and challenging, but it made not much of a difference to Harriet. When she got to the South, she picked up a group of slaves and got them to Canada. She saved so many of her people from the cruelty of slavery. Harriet Tubman will always be known as one of the most important woman in U.S. history.

  JG Per.1 says:

“Ryan White: My Own Story” and “Harriet Tubman: Guide to Freedom” are two stories that we read. They described the discrimination and obstacles that the main characters experienced and how they chose to deal with it. Each character displayed great strength and determination in dealing with their obstacles; they didn’t back down even when it was painful to go on.
For all of Ryan Whites life he had hemophilia. It was very hard to live a life like this because you could not play any sports or play anything that could cut you. Ryan White would always have to be careful and not get any cuts or he could bleed for a long period of time. Ryan White had a very severe sickness. He had AIDS. This had happened when he had taken infected Factor VIII . This batch was contaminated with AIDS. Ever since he had gotten AIDS he was not accepted by the people in Kokomo. Kids, even parents would make nasty rumors and call him names. They threw things at his house, and tried to keep him out of school. He chose to fight the system and stay in school. Instead of giving up he chose to educate the people of Kokomo. And, he went on to educate the country about AIDS and the people that it infects. He put a face on the disease and let people know that it effects every day people.
Harriet Tubman was a slave who became free, but she did not sit back and think only of herself. She constantly put herself in danger to help free other slaves. She was strong and determined to give others the chance for a free life. She would always carry a gun to scare the slaves who wanted to go back. Before she went out and escaped she was living a hard life. She would sleep on the floor she worked as a domestic slave and she was forced to work between the ages 4 and up. Another thing that was bad in her life was that she got hit in the head by a rock, which caused her to black out. At some points she was worried that the slaves wouldn’t find food, water,or shelter and she was scared that the slave catchers would find her. For the next couple of years she would be traveling back and forth escaping slaves and bringing them to the North (Canada).

  TW-Period 3 says:

Discrimination has been around for a very long time. Although Harriet Tubman and Ryan White lived in different times, they were both fighting some type of discrimination very early in their lives and they were determined to change the world’s view on their particular struggle. In this regard both Ryan White and Harriet were both tenacious and had indomitable spirits because despite whatever obstacles they faced in their lives they absolutely refused to give up.

Ryan White faced many obstacles in his life since they day he was born. He lived with hemophilia as a child and eventually got AIDS from the Factor he received from the hospital to treat his hemophilia. Ryan was discriminated by everyone in the town he lived in because they thought they could get AIDS just by being near him or using the same bathroom or attending the same school or church. Even though it hurt Ryan and his family, he always tried to fight against the discrimination against him. When Ryan was not allowed to go to school, he took the school to court. He eventually was allowed back in school, although he was still discriminated against. He had to use plastic utensils, use a separate bathroom and could not participate in Gym, but this didn’t stop Ryan. Eventually he had to move because things got too bad. Even though it was an accomplishment for Ryan to win his fight to stay in school he also had other accomplishments. Another big accomplishment was finding the time to speak out against AIDS discrimination and to educate America on what AIDS was and how you could get it. He was very tenacious about this because it made Ryan mad that people were so ignorant about the disease and he thought he could not only help himself but also other people who had the disease. Ryan did not like to speak in front of people because he got nervous and people stared at him, but he kept doing it because he was determined to teach people about the disease. Ryan’s accomplishments did not go unnoticed. He caught the attention of some famous people like Elton John and Michael Jackson. They admired his attitude of never giving up and also the bright outlook he had on life despite all of is problems. Although Ryan had many things to fight for during his life, his biggest fight was to try and live a normal life as a teenager while trying to fight the awful disease that he had. In the end the disease go the best of Ryan, but he fought until he couldn’t fight anymore until the very end.

Like Ryan, Harriet Tubman also faced many obstacles in her life since the day she was born because she was born a slave. She was treated like a dog and beaten by her master. She eventually was able to escape to the North and became free. Harriet became determined to help as many slaves escape to freedom through the underground railroad. She made many dangerous trips to the South and she helped hundreds of slaves become free and escape to the North. She was a tough person who carried a gun and had to point it at the slaves if they tried to go back. She knew this would blow their cover. Despite all the dangerous situations she found herself in and the fact that she suffered from seizures she never gave up the fight to free the slaves.

Ryan White and Harriet Tubman were both people who had a mission in life and no matter what obstacles they faced, they never gave up their fight. Both Harriet Tubman and Ryan White’s spirits will live on for many years and are both important people in history because of their fight against discrimination and their example to everyone to never stop fighting.

  CG - Per. 2 says:

From both non-fiction selections that we have read we have encountered two incredibly strong people. These characters are Ryan White and Harriet Tubman; both of who had to fight there way through discrimination.

Harriet Tubman was an African-American slave runaway, who escaped the clutches of segregation. Once she was free she chose to help other slave find there way to freedom by going back down to Maryland and help more slaves escape. Through out her life she made nineteen separate trips to Maryland all the way to Canada and back to get these slaves. On these trips she found against hunger, thirst, and nature. She was also being hunted by many different slave-hunters who were looking for the bounty on her head. She was chased with guns, dogs, and threatened to be hung but she still fought her way through each trip and didn’t give up! The way she would get these slaves to freedom was by using the UGRR, which was a series of routes and road that was used has a guide for runaway slaves. Every one of her rescues was a success and no one was ever caught. She had an indomitable spirit and wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Ryan White was and AIDS victim that had to suffer through rough times and endless discrimination. Just like Harriet Tubman Ryan White was as if a slave. He was treated as if a lower being because of the disease he had. People in his town would not allow him to go to school because of fear that he may spread his disease. This meant that he was forced to stay at home and listen to the classes at school through a connected phone. But Ryan was far from giving up and continued to fight and try to get his rights back. Harriet Tubman and Ryan White had to go through extremely hard times to get what was rightfully theirs: freedom. Harriet needed freedom from what the white people would do to them. She needed to be able to have what every white American did. Ryan needed freedom from others fears. He needed other people to realize that he was as normal as any other child, but is just fighting along the way.To get their freedom both of them at to go through the law. Harriet had go against what she was told and fight her way to get that changed until after a long fight slave were finally free. Ryan had to go to court several times to get his right to go to school back, and even through it failed sometimes he was a hard fighter and never gave up and finally got back what he was fighting for. That is what you call an indomitable spirit.

  GF Period 1 says:

Ryan White and Harriet Tubman were both very significant and influential people who will be remembered in history forever. Even though both of them were discriminated against, they never let anything stop them. Through all there hard times they were able to rise and help other people.
Ryan White was only twelve years old when he discovered he had gotten AIDS from his factor. Growing up as a hemophiliac was hard enough for Ryan and gave him many setbacks; when he found out he had AIDS he didn’t think he would live much longer. However, Ryan decided he would fight off this disease and live his life to the fullest. Since people didn’t have a lot of information on AIDS they were scared and began to treat Ryan different. They wouldn’t let him go to school or even use the same facilities and water fountains as the other people in town. Ryan knew the reason people treated him like this was out of fear for their own lives, so he decided to stand up himself and all the other AIDS victims. He made speeches about the disease to thousands of teachers and other kids like him. He helped everyone understand the disease better and made a huge impact on how people treated other people with this disease. Through all of Ryan’s obstacles he was still able to help other people.
Harriet Tubman was also a very important person in history. Like Ryan she was also discriminated against, since she was an African American woman who grew up during the time of slavery. Harriet Tubman saved the lives of many slaves and helped bring them to freedom in Canada. Risking her own life, she would help many slaves escape through the woods in the dark with nothing but the North Star as a guide. Even though her journeys were hard and long she still went back many times and saved over 300 slaves. This is a huge accomplishment and made her a very important figure. Both Ryan White and Harriet Tubman inspired many people to stand up for what they believe in.

  AG - Period 3 says:

Discrimination, whether it be if your short or tall, or black or white, or gay or straight…it’s still there. In our every day lives, on the news, in books. Everywhere we look, discrimination is lurking. However, people who face discrimination usually are determined to change the mindset of the world. Their hopes are high, they never quit, and they mirror a dam holding back water; they don’t take it in.
Ryan White, a native of Kokomo, Indiana, and a hemophiliac, is one of many who changed the world. Diagnosed with the incurable, life-sucking AIDS disease at only age thirteen, he was a fighter; like Muhammad Ali in the ring. Ryan, being a kid, wanted to live like one despite being an AIDS victim. He wanted to have a social life, go to school, and get a job. However, Ryan had been neglected by his fellow Kokomo citizens, the ones he had raved about in the beginning of his autobiography. They were worried he could infect their children if he were allowed back in school. They were afraid, dumbfounded, and ignorant; they wanted him out and he wanted in. But being the audacious, courageous young boy he was, he fought for his right; and the rights for other AIDS victims suffering from the same deadly disease he had. He brought his case to court, and won; but when he returned to school, derogatory, disparaging comments were speared at him whether it be in his locker, to his face, or over the radio. Yet, Ryan kept going. He lived for more than five years, when his life expectancy was expected to only be six to twelve months. He toured the world, with some of the greatest celebrities out there in order to educate the nation about his awful sickness. His mission was to successfully conquer his case of AIDS, while doing what he could to make life better for future generations. Without Ryan, and his bravery, AIDS patients of America are able to lead better lives than they would have due to all the money raised by Ryan and his foundations, along with the way he stood up to our country.
You look around you, wondering if there is anyone watching. You try to be as quiet as possible, even though your every step seems to make more noise than the previous one. In the distance, you here the dreaded bloodhounds howling on that brisk autumn night; yet you still pursue your journey on your way to freedom. The next morning, you meet the savior, the messiah… “Moses”. Now that you have reached this point you know you must be close…
Harriet Tubman, a former slave and an African-American woman, devoted her life to liberating blacks in the antebellum South. She is regarded as the most famous conductor on the Underground Railroad. Tubman returned eleven times to the eastern shore of Maryland liberating over three hundred other slaves from captivity. She is compared to Moses of the Old Testament due to the way she freed slaves and brought them to independence just as Moses did with the Israelites. Harriet made two trips a year, each voyage having duration of one month, bringing with her anywhere between around four to twelve slaves with her on her way to Canada. Canada was the only place with true freedom, for anywhere in the United States would be dangerous do to the Fugitive Slave Bill. However, despite all of the statistics and honor relating to Harriet Tubman, perhaps the most monumental thing about her journeys was if she were to be caught, she would be tortured and then hanged. Yet she knew this, for she even quoted, “I had reasoned this out in my mind, there was one of two things I had a right to, liberty or death; if I could not have one, I would have the other.” But did that stop her? She and others faced racism everyday when they were mistreated on their plantations and she wanted an end to this torture, horror, and suffering. But even when their bodies were howling to them not go on, they continued with a vision, a perspective, and a dream of their one day freedom. The feeling of freedom was like no other, even for Harriet, who had always been a driven, devoted individual; “I looked at my hands, to see if I was the same person now that I was free. There was such a glory over everything; the sun came like gold through the trees, and over de fields, and I felt like I was in heaven.”
Those who fought, those who spoke, those who dreamed are the ones who shaped the way we live today. In order for a dream to be created, you need a dreamer; in order for the dream to be fulfilled, you need a fighter.

  VDPer. 2 says:

Well Ryan White and Herriat Tubman never give up because Ryan White wanted to go to school, but Herriat Tubman was in the Underground Rialroad and she wanted to help people to get out from Underground Rialroad. But Ryan White and Herriat Tubman was different from each other because Herriat Tubman was African-American and Ryan White was American.

  FS-Period 1 says:

Harriet Tubman rescued over three hundred African Americans from slavery. She led them to freedom through the long cold days and nights and never let any of them turn back. She was determined for each and every slave that she rescued to lead a new lifestyle. Harriet never lost one slave along the way and is known for being one of the bravest women in our time. Ryan White was a young teenage boy who grew up with a disease called hemophilia and later attracted AIDS through a blood transfusion. People in his hometown, Kokomo, were afraid of him because he was different. Ryan never let the people in his community who tortured him when he was diagnosed with AIDS stop him from changing the lives of other patients. He never wanted anyone to go through what he did. Both Harriet and Ryan created miracles for others at the same time of going through the major obstacles of their own lives.
Harriet Tubman used to sneak into a slave plantation late at night and sing outside one of the homes of a family of slaves. That was the signal that “Moses” was there to save them. They would have to sneak away at night just hoping and praying to make it to freedom. There were several slave hunters who were after Harriet for stealing so many of their slaves. If anyone saw her, she would most likely be hung, and the others would be sold back south. It was so hard for Harriet because of the conditions of running away. At night it was dark and frigid, but she and the runaways would still have to trudge throughout the woods and the waters, and during the day, they would be allowed to sleep but rarely could. Life was probably harder than ever for her and the slaves. There was always a chance that they would be discovered and never make it to freedom. As soon as Ryan White was diagnosed with AIDS, his life changed. The people on town were scared for themselves and their children. They thought that they could catch AIDS from Ryan even though there was almost no way that they were capable. Kids bullied him to no end. Somebody even robbed the Whites’ house and also shot a bullet through their front window. The family was truly afraid of living in the town. They were basically forced to move out after a few years. It was a shame because they tried so hard to have the people understand and realize that Ryan was harmless. Ryan went on to give speeches to children and adults all over to make the world a better place for AIDS victims. He didn’t want anyone to go through what he did, and he never thought, why me? I look up to Ryan and Harriet for overcoming major battles in their lives and working hard to make better lives for others.