To be an Eagle Scout is to have achieved the most elite rank of the Scouts BSA Program. Previously dominated and made available only to males, the Boy Scouts program was revamped in 2019 to allow young women to join. When this provision was made available, young Jakayla Armstrong took the opportunity to make history.
Although other young Black women have entered the BSA Program since 2019, Armstrong is the first to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout in the state of Alabama. According to WKRG, the world of scouting reached her sights when Scoutmaster Fred Young approached her and invited her to become a scout.In her endeavor to reach this ultimate rank, Armstrong spent her time building care packages at the Wilmer Hall Children's Home. Scout executive William Bryant comments on Armstrong's exceptional example by stating, "It shows the diversity in scouting. It shows girls can do anything that boys can do, and it also shows we need more girls in scouting."
Armstrong has great pride her herself and her actions in proving how capable she is as a young Black woman. Now, she has grand plans to attend the University of Alabama. Armstrong shares in the previously mentioned article, "It feels great knowing that I made history...There is no limit on the things you can do."
