BLACK GIRL SOARS AS EAGLE SCOUT
Local 17-year-old says being among history-making BSA class ‘is a blessing’
At 17, Kendall Jackson has found her way into history books as one of the first Black female Scouts to earn the prestigious Eagle Scout rank from the Boy Scouts of America.
Part of the inaugural class of more than 1,000 female Scouts nationwide since the organization opened to girls in 2019, the Schererville resident is one of 14 young women in the Chicago metropolitan area’s Pathway to Adventure Council to earn the Eagle Scout designation.
She is the lone Black female in the council to do so. Nationally, Jackson is one of 21 Black females to join the elite rank.
“It’s definitely been an honor,” Jackson said.
She said she never thought about the significance of being among the first African American young women to earn the title, especially during Black History Month.
“To say I have made Black history is a blessing. It is very humbling,” Jackson said.
The Lake Central High School senior has been around Scouting her entire life. Her mother, Kellauna Mack, was a volunteer troop leader while her brother, Kenneth Whisenton, made his way through the program.
Jackson said she learned the ropes from her brother, who is nine years her senior. Whisenton earned the rank of Eagle Scout in 2011.
“At first I just wanted to annoy him,” Jackson said, recalling pestering her brother and his Scouting friends when she was younger.
As time went on, she started to learn Scouting skills from them and wanted to be more
involved.
“He was really a big influence. I was able to see all he accomplished,” Jackson said.
At the time, she understood she could not be part of Boy Scouts of America, but was just happy to be able to learn the skills.
So when the opportunity finally arose in 2019 to formally become a full member, she jumped at the chance.
In the 19 months since joining, she met requirements for 39 badges and completed a community service project that earned her the Eagle Scout designation.
Jackson was awarded the designation Feb. 7 along with two of her fellow Eagle Scouts from Troop 53, based out of St. Timothy Community Church in Gary.
Mack said she was excited and proud to see her daughter follow in her brother’s footsteps to earn the Eagle Scout rank.
“I believe in the program deeply. I knew Kendall would learn all the skills,” she said.
In a statement, the Boy Scouts of America said the organization is honored to recognize Jackson during this historic time.
Jackson and her fellow female Eagle Scouts were expected to be recognized Sunday in a nationwide virtual program highlighting the participants’ accomplishments. She was one of four young women whose journeys was featured in the program.
“Trailblazing young women from across the country took the final steps toward earning Scouting’s highest rank amid a pandemic to claim their place in history as members of the inaugural class of female Eagle Scouts,” the BSA statement said.
The statement went on to call the accomplishment “an inspirational call to action for all young people to continue working to make a positive impact on their communities and the nation.”
Jackson named her Eagle Scout project “Project 21,” an effort that brought together 21 high school seniors from the class of 2021 for a
day of workshops including health and wellness, time-management, financial responsibility, essays and resumes, and relationships and networking.
“I got the idea after my best friend asked for help,” Jackson
said.
Participants in her program received a binder filled with resources to help them along their next steps in life, be it going on to college, learning a trade or entering the workforce.
Jackson said she decided on her project because she learned some of her friends did not have the access to the information and resources she was exposed to through Scouting.
Jackson recently made the decision to follow in her mother’s footsteps and those of Vice President Kamala Harris to attend Howard University, a historically Black college or university, known as an HBCU. She is hoping to be the third generation of women in her family to join the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, where Harris was also a member.
“I’m just pleased as punch with her decision,” Mack said.
Jackson encourages young people — both male and female — to consider Scouting and plans to volunteer with a local troop when she heads off to college.
“I felt lucky to be a part of the Scouting program. I would say definitely give it a try,” Jackson said. For those who do join, she said, “Try to the best of your ability to get all the way to the top.”