Both Kyra and Phallon, are gifted high school students best known as the Pierce Twins, who are making quite an impressionable impact in their community. The 14-year-old identical twins have propelled an outreach campaign while succeeding in the academic world as well. Together they are working to bring more diversity to the educational system one book at a time.
Can you tell us a little about how you grew up and its impact on who you are today?
We are blessed to grow up in a loving home with our mom and Dad. Our family is very close, and we have an extensive support system through our parents and a large group of extended family and friends. Our parents showed us that there is joy that comes from helping others at an early age, and we should always look for ways to make a positive difference. They also believe in working hard, staying active, and they encourage us to try new things. They said we should try to spend our free time with activities that uplift, inspire, and make us happy. We live by that as we are honor students, creative artists, athletes, and activists. Overall, things are awesome, but we faced challenges in middle school with racism, drama, and bullying. We had to learn how to stay positive, stand up for ourselves, and voice others.
You are currently commencing a cultural and social collision regarding your current organization.
Can you inform us a tad bit about what you and your organization are seeking to work on when it comes to changing our current atmosphere? We founded Positive Change Charities (a non-profit 501(c) (3) organization) to help make a difference for kids not only in our community but across the country. We are working for social equity in education and providing multicultural books by diverse authors to kids in need. Our goal is to provide over 10,000 books by various authors to underfunded school libraries across the country. We believe that there is a need for diversity in literature curriculums to ensure that children and teens of all backgrounds are exposed to various experiences and cultures. We currently have a bill on the Illinois House floor, called The Pierce Twins Law, centered on diversity in assigned reading materials. If passed, The Pierce Twins law will ensure that K-12 literature curriculums throughout Illinois will include books written by diverse authors. We will then look for legislative options to take our cause to the Federal level.
Several of us have thoughts, impressions, and desires but never demonstrate them. What was your manifesting moment when you both decided on making a change in the community?
When we were going into 8th grade, we found racially insensitive books on our assigned summer reading book list. After a simple Google search, we discovered that one of the books on the list was initially titled Ten Little N***. In addition to the original title, we learned that a racist nursery rhyme was a significant plot point. We told our parents, and together we worked to get the books taken off the school’s list. The incident and additional research inspired us to do more as we continued to see a lack of diversity, specifically African American authors on summer reading lists, elementary and middle school literature courses, and in school libraries across the country. No matter what the student body is made up of, no one should have to wait until they are in the upper grades or even college to do a report or be exposed to a book written by an author of color. Representation matters as it helps build confidence in those who see themselves in the characters. Exposure to different cultures and stories from your own helps bring understanding, tolerance, and a more inclusive attitude. We knew we could do more, so we created our book list, started Positive Change Charities to give diverse books to others, and now we are involved with THE ILLINOIS government to get books written by various authors added to school curriculums across the state.
Can you explain the most exciting tale that occurred to you since you launched your business?
The Pierce Twins Bill. We were so honored to have shared our story, mission, and goal with members of the Illinois General Assembly. The Pierce Twins bill has been drafted, introduced on the Illinois House floor, and hopefully, it will pass into law in this upcoming legislative session. We FORMED OUR OWN JUDICIARY COMMITTEE IN ILLINOIS, WHICH IS COMPOSED OF OTHER STUDENTS, TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATORS, AND OTHER COMMUNITY SUPPORTERS, to help garnish support of the bill. We are excited and so thankful that we can work with politicians to make a change that will help kids today and in the future! We appreciate all the local and national support that we have received on this journey thus far.
Can you yield a narrative about the most unusual error you made when you started
We must resist the urge to overcomplicate things or get overwhelmed because we are overthinking everything. Prioritize, plan, set targets, and celebrate the small wins along the way! That helps us stay focused and positive. When we started the charity, the name took us forever to create! Do we use initials? Should it be a clever saying, WHAT SHOULD THE COLORS BE on the logo, THE FONTS, etc.? The main point in the name is that it should express the mission. Sometimes the most straightforward plan is the best way to go. We want to make a positive change so hence the name Positive Change Charities.
Who has assisted you mentally & spiritually as growing mid adults, and how has that experience stayed with you?
Our Mom and Dad have helped us grow! They have taught us to be kind, believe in ourselves, work hard, have faith in God, and stand up if there is an issue. They talked to us about if we see a problem, think about how it can be solved versus simply complaining about issues. That teaching stuck with us so, when we saw a problem at school, we knew we had to do something. Our parents helped us amplify our voice at the school. Their support helped us see our strength and use our power. Because of them, we feel we can do anything!
If you could speak to other young successors regarding why they should reflect changing our circumstances or community, like you, what would you say to them?
While standing up or acting when you see challenges can be scary once you do…. you will know that it not only can improve your situation, but it can also impact others! It feels great to be a part of something positive that helps others. You have a voice and can make a difference even if the solution isn’t always apparent initially. Sometimes kids feel that no one will listen because of their age, but we encourage them to speak up! If you see something wrong, think about how you can make a difference in your situation, then if you are inspired, make it bigger. Like at your school, then your town, and so on. Go to your parents or find another trusted adult, like a teacher, family member, or even another kid doing extraordinary things. They can help you create a plan, cheer you on, amplify your message, and connect you with someone who can help your cause. One small action or step can create a ripple effect that snowballs into positively impacting the world. For us, everything started with a book issue at our school, it then moved to the creation of our own book list, then we moved on to creating a charity to help other schools, and that ultimately turned into working with politicians to draft legislation to impact the state and hopefully the Nation. You can turn your frustrations into something good by focusing on THE SOLUTION TO THE problem. If everyone used their power to make their environment a better place, can you imagine how great the world would be?!
Learn more and stay connected with the Pierce Twins by visiting their website!
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