“Systematic desensitization involves routine exposure to emotional stimuli, such as fear or excitement,” Hart Jefferson writes. “Over time, the responses to these stimuli will become weaker as the brain adapts.”
Hart Jefferson
Hart Jefferson was born in Jackson, Miss., and has attended Jackson Public Schools since kindergarten. Throughout his matriculation, Hart has been inducted into the National Beta Club, the National Junior Honor Society, the National Speech and Debate Association Honor Society, the Mississippi Thespians Honor Society, and the National Honor Society. Currently, he is a senior honor student at Murrah High School. Outside of academics, Hart participates in Murrah’s debate team, where he serves as captain. He is also a member of the Jazz band, and Pleiades, the school’s literary Magazine. As Hart prepares to go attend college at Jackson State University on full scholarship, he has focused more on ways in which he can use his voice to impact his immediate community. This led him and his friend to found a GSA, or Gender-Sexuality Alliance at Murrah with the goal of making the school more equitable for members of the LGBTQ+ community. He is also active in his school's Rooted Heritage club, which is dedicated to educating students about cultural diversity through an African American lens. Lastly, Hart was given the opportunity to intern at the ACLU of Mississippi in 2023, where he witnessed ground breaking advocacy work dedicated to securing the fundamental rights of marginalized Mississippians.