Unsung Heroes: Yoani Sanchez

Our world has been shaped by people in ages past who ventured to do something extraordinary. Figures like Ghandi, Martin King Jr, and Mother Teressa stand out as people who changed the world for the better. The things these people accomplished truly did make the world a better place. But we forget the countless other individuals out there who have stepped out of their bounds to do make our society a better place. The unsung heroes have achieved just as much as those names revel. There are countless names out there who have placed the good of others above their own and did things that deserve their names to be recognized.

We may notice the unsung hero in our very own lives. Heroes are those individuals who place the good of another above their own. Firefighters, policemen and rescue personnel are just a few examples of men and woman who risk life and limb to rescue those in need. These are the heroes of our society. There was also a story about a bus driver who placed his own body in front of his bus that was going down a cliff so his passengers could get off. He lost his life to save dozens.

 I write this blog to credit all those out there who have done incredible things but whose names we have yet to know. I point out one particular person, one particular hero whose name is not as recognized as it should be. There is a story of a journalist who risked imprisonment and prosecution get the story of her nation known to the world. This journalist’s name is Yoani Sanchez. She is one outspoken journalist in Cuba who manages to remind us that of the struggles many people in our world still face. In a country of censorship, she has written a blog speaking out against the injustices of her nation. Her act has resulted in her denial by the government to leave the country but it has earned her name among the rest of the world as a freedom blogger.

Sánchez’s blog, Generation Y is her voice for freedom. The name of the blog is a reference to the popular act among Cuban parents, in the 70s and 80s, of giving their children names beginning with Y. She is able to publish the blog despite censorship in Cuba by e-mailing entries to friends outside the country, who then put them online. Her courage is doing such an act, risking government prosecution, is incredibly admirable. And her deeds have not gone unnoticed, recently she was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Time also named her blog as one of the 25 best blogs in the world. Check out her original blog in Spanish here http://www.desdecuba.com/generaciony/

If you have some person in your life that you believe is an unsung hero, let the world know who they are and what they’ve done.  For it is an amazing thing to sing the name of an unsung hero.