‘He is proud of me’: MIT’s first Black student president is granddaughter of Winter Haven’s first Black mayor
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - Just getting into a top-flight school like MIT, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is a great accomplishment. But Danielle Geathers took that a step further, a big giant step further. She just made history by becoming the first Black woman president of the student body.
"I think it was an honor to get the validation," Geathers told FOX 13. "They believed I was the right person to represent their views."
Geathers, a junior majoring in engineering, had a fine mentor. She is the granddaughter of Winter Haven’s first black mayor, Lemuel "Lem" Geathers, who recently passed away.
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Lemuel Geathers shattered the race barrier in 1981 when he was elected as Winter Haven’s first Black mayor.
"I think he would say he is proud of me," she commented. "But to keep pushing and always looking out for what’s next. What else can we accomplish? Who is struggling and how can we help them?"
Family members say ever since Geathers was a little kid, she had innate drive and intellect.
"Always thinking about bigger and better," said her mom, Marva Wiley. "It certainly challenged me about my experience being a mother."
Now that Geathers is in a position to try and effect change, she plans to do just that. She hopes to see more African Americans and other underrepresented groups matriculate at MIT.
Geathers also wants the university to help close the "wealth gap" by working with more Black banks and investment firms.
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