<p>The essay topic that I've been working on is about my grandfather (a white doctor in 1950s and 1960s Birmingham, Alabama who worked for civil rights causes) and the lessons I've learned from his life story which has gradually been revealed to me by family members and his old friends, as he passed away when I was six. The essay is more about the work I've done and the interests I've developed with his set of values as an example and as motivation, but there is a good deal of biographical information on my grandfather that is, of course, related to the thesis, so to speak.</p>
<p>I've heard that writing about a grandparent who has inspired you is a dull topic, but is my topic, given that I have truly tried to follow in his footsteps (political work, journalism with reporting on race relations, reading and studying of Civil Rights Movement and civil rights figures) rather than just "admire him," a little different?</p>