Like mother, like daughter: Roberson follows in mom’s Girls State footsteps

By Jessica Breazeale

History has a way of repeating itself, and for one local family, it repeated itself in the most remarkable way.

Bently Roberson, a Brookhaven resident and student at Parklane Academy in McComb, was elected State Treasurer at American Legion Auxiliary Girls State 2026, the same office her mother, Barbie Roberson, held when she attended Girls State in 1991. Thirty-five years apart, mother and daughter say they now share a bond that goes far beyond family resemblance.

Barbie Roberson, a former principal at Wesson Attendance Center, no doubt recognized the moment well.

But Bently didn’t just follow in her mother’s footsteps; she ran her own race.

Taking her last name as her inspiration, Bently built her entire campaign around the theme of running, not just any race, but the race God assigns his followers to run. Drawing from Hebrews 12:1-2, she challenged her fellow delegates to lay aside every weight and fix their eyes on something greater than victory alone.

Her campaign materials reflected that message from the start. Checkered flags appeared on her posters, and she handed them out to delegates as a tangible reminder of her platform. The messages were simple and direct: “Full Speed Ahead” and “Race to the Polls.”

“Every race has a finish line,” Bently told delegates, “But success isn’t always about crossing that line first. It’s about how we run the race God assigns to us.”

The speech resonated. Delegates responded, and, when the votes were counted, Bently had won.

She challenged the young women around her to carry that mindset back home, urging them to be leaders in their schools and to finish their high school years with integrity, not just ambition.

The photo circulating among family and friends says it all: a side-by-side of Barbie in 1991 and Bently in 2026, both smiling, both wearing their Girls State credentials, both elected to the same office a generation apart.

Some legacies are built over decades. The Robersons say this one was built with checkered flags, a family name and a verse from Hebrews.