Meet Ja’Shonna Bryant: One of the first African-American girls to join Boy Scouts of America

May 1, 2018

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Ja’Shonna Bryant, 9, from Knoxville, TN is making history as one of the first African-American girls to join Boy Scouts of America. She was accepted into the early adopter program and the Bryant family is excited that she will continue the legacy.

During an interview with theGrio, Ja’Shonna’s mom, La-Tasha Smith, spoke on why the program is perfect for her daughter.

“Just looking at other organizations, not everything is a fit for every girl,” Smith explains. “The way things are set up with the BSA, it was just a better fit for my daughter. She’s the outdoors type. She likes taking things hands on and it’s just more of a fit.”

Smith adds, “I worked with a lot of different youth organizations growing up. To me, Boy Scouts just fulfills a need of leadership and life skills that is seriously lacking in our generation. And that’s why I support it as much as I do. I see the fruits of the labor, even in my husband, who is an adult, you can see the quality and the character that it has built in him. It’s just something I feel it is a necessity.”

Ja’shonna is happy that she’ll be able to do some of the things that the Boy Scouts do. Some of her favorite activities are air cars and hiking. She’s also looking forward to fishing and camping.

The Bryants have a rich history in scouting and say they are looking forward to Ja’Shonna’s accomplishments in the program.

The Boy Scouts of America currently has 2.4 million youth participants and has been around since 1910.