But back in 2013, a Florida teen also worked on a science project for school and was arrested for it, and she received none of the perks Mohamed did. In fact, she was – and still is – treated much worse.
Kiera Wilmot, who was a high school junior at the time, crafted a volcano project that was in full swing when the lid to her pot popped and smoke came out, according to the Miami New Times. There were no injuries or property damage, but Wilmot was arrested and charged with possession of a weapon on school property and discharging a destructive device.
“I remember I was in shock and just started crying,” Wilmot recalls. “I was called a terrorist, and people tell me that I’m on the no-fly list even to this day.”
Wilmot wished her story had received more attention because of the embarrassment and shame she went through after her ordeal. But it didn’t. Though the charges were dropped, Wilmot had to “complete 20 hours of community service, undergo a psychiatric evaluation, and finish her junior year at an alternative school,” the New Times reports.
She’s now enrolled in Florida Polytechnic University, but was nervous that her arrest would interfere with the college application process. She has hopes she’ll be invited to the White House by Obama one day as well, and offers this advice to Ahmed: “I’d tell him he has to keep moving forward and not let the haters get to him.”
SOURCE: Miami New Times | PHOTO CREDIT: Twitter
SEE ALSO
Kiera Wilmot’s School Expulsion Is Racist
The 5 Greatest Things That’ve Happened To Ahmed Mohamed Since The Creation Of His Homemade Clock
Don’t Miss Our Hottest Stories! Get The NewsOne Flip App for iPhone: Flip, Skip — Or Send Us a Tip!
Black Florida Teen Was Arrested For Her Science Project, But Where Was The Ahmed Love? was originally published on globalgrind.com