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Amira Daugherty '19
Amira Daugherty ’19
There are few people who have a life vision as clear as Amira Daugherty ’19. Her ability to chase after the world that she wants has a ripple effect on those around her. During her time at Agnes Scott College, Amira was a force to be reckoned with. There was not one person in the Agnes Scott community who didn’t recognize Amira for her passion and strong will. Amira represents the unique tenacity of students at Agnes Scott and her strength still has an impact on the campus.
Amira knew her values and what she wanted the world around her to be from a young age. Her creative spirit guided her to pursue artistic interests such as music and poetry but it was her life experiences that shaped her to fight for those who she saw as needing help. From a young age, Amira witnessed discrimination. She can recall being in school and knowing that the way some of the kids were treating others was wrong. Then in a “storm of change,” Amira started wearing her hijab, lost her hearing in her left ear, and got a skin disease, which in turn resulted in some of her first personal experiences with being discriminated against. Importantly, this was a shift for Amira, a time when she went from being a witness of injustice to the victim of it. These experiences in her childhood further propelled Amira into her passion for social justice with an understanding of both inside and outside conflict. In fourth grade, Amira started her school’s anti-defamation league. Since then, Amira has been fueled by and pursued social activism.
“The shift came when I was very small from being someone who stuck up for people who were being bullied because it was just wrong to understanding what it was like to be bullied...That translated when I got older into recognizing bigger bullies, people who perpetrate injustice within our systems. I think taking that passion from helping people when I was a little kid and incorporating that into everything I have done as an adult has been a seamless transition for me.”
This intertwining of imaginative passion and activism is what pulled Amira to Agnes Scott, a place where she knew she could pursue both those interests. Hailing from Stone Mountain, Georgia - Amira knew of Agnes Scott. When she was able to visit the campus, she felt she had to do all she could to be a part of the community. The liberal arts experience was the perfect place for Amira, allowing her to pursue both music and political science, an academic passion that interested her because of its connection to social justice and the law system.
“Since every single aspect of the school surrounds leadership and betterment of the community, even when I was involved in music and writing poetry it was still in the advocacy realm.”
While on campus, Amira spent her time building up organizations on campus - strengthening the Muslim Student Association and becoming President of the Student Government Association. During Amira's time as President, an influential student government bill passed that now allows all Agnes Scott students to receive a class ring their sophomore year covered by the student activity fee. Amira also worked hard to expand the community for Black Muslim students on campus, noting that the intersection of these identities is often overlooked. These leadership experiences allowed Amira to leave Agnes Scott feeling empowered and ready to pursue her political goals. Directly after she graduated, Amira went to Washington D.C. with a fellowship for Congressman Hank Johnson. In D.C., she was able to “rub elbows” with those who are very influential in important systems, stepping closer to her childhood dream of creating change.
“The best part of Agnes Scott is how it emboldens you to try something that you didn’t think that you could achieve in your regular life”
"I have always run for things, I have always been excited about being a part of things, and I have always tried to be a leader in different communities but at Agnes Scott, it felt very natural to run for a higher office and to be a part of the leadership of the school.”
Recently interviewed for Voyage Atlanta, Amira highlights pursuing her dreams of creating change in the world, co-founding organizations that strive “to advocate and uplift marginalized communities.” An organization she recently started with her sister, WeCollective, hosts events and workshops working to form stronger connections within communities of color. This organization can be found on Instagram @wecllctv exploring a relevant topic and creating space to “dissect it through several mediums (music, writing, poetry, conversations with experts, etc.),” as Amira shared with Voyage Atlanta. Pulling from her vast Agnes Scott education, Amira also is currently pursuing other creative endeavors. She underscores this mentioning, “I started really focusing on my music, poetry, and rapping. I have gotten all these opportunities to perform for organizations and causes that I really care about.” Continuing to be a force for change, Amira looks forward to what her future paths might hold.
