“If You Don’t Want Them To Know Something, Put In A Book, They’ll Never Read It!”
“If you don’t want them to know something, put it in a book, they’ll never read it.” This was a saying that was widely during and after desegregation of the schools, and as I know is still being used today, to display the ignorance and lack of knowledge of African-Americans. The sad fact is that it is true. If it doesn’t come across the television or radio, then most people don’t know what is going on. Most people that I know watches television rather than go to school. As an African-American, it was very important for me to learn to read, write, and obtain a quality education. It’s amazing to see the carelessness that many people take toward getting a good education. Many of my ancestors lost their lives for just wanting to read and write, but now that African-Americans have the opportunity to do these things, hardly anyone takes advantage of it. For me, as an African-American, education is extremely important because many affluent people like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Mary McCloud Bethune, and Linda Brown, fought “tooth and nail” and lost much of their blood, sweat, and tears to ensure that we were properly educated. Over the years I have adopted a slogan, “If it’s free, it’s for me”. Although public education is free today, someone no doubt lost his or her life for me to sit in a classroom to learn. I try to take advantage of every opportunity I get to read and write because I can never learn too much.
I was raised in the north end of Hartford, Connecticut. I wouldn’t say that the city was impoverished, but it was far from perfect. It was similar to most northern big cities, rampant with drugs, violence, and crime. In just one week there could have been anywhere from 10-15 burglaries, which probably accounted for the degree to which owners were protective of their businesses. When I passed most stores at night or after their closing times, I saw that they were guarded with security doors and steel bars on the windows. But for as long as I can remember, I’ve never seen any bars or security doors protecting the libraries, which goes to prove the point that “If you don’t want them to know something, put it in a book, they’ll never read it.
While Sanders’ narrative primarily focuses on the Child Development Group of Mississippi, Black Mississippians historically valued education and focused careful attention to the construction of education systems that empowered Black children in disenfranchised social systems. Their vision was clear; Black students should have access to high quality, free education that exists outside of white supremacist regulations, but also empowers those students to navigate the volatile systems of power that pervade American society. According to Sanders, “Black parents focused not on the idea of their children sitting in classrooms with white students, but rather on their children’s right to an equal education,” (2016, p. 12). Thus, Black communities in Mississippi understood “good education” not as integrated schools, but schools that directly served the various needs of the children in their
Macbeth was a tragic hero. Traditionally, a tragic hero is someone who is born as an example of greatness but somehow along the way they acquire a flaw in character that brings about his own downf...
Newman says that the scope of education should broaden and encourage more learning outside of the career track, while Freire says how the material is learned should be broadened and laid out where it is learned for its entirety and not just its basic ideas. They feel that “the learned professions altogether... [are] the most popularly beneficial and… most intimately divine of all human pursuits” (Newman, 57). Simply said, education is something of high importance that should be desired and acquired by all. If one does not embrace education, he or she will not gain knowledge or understand its importance. Fredrick Douglass, a famous slave that worked to gain knowledge, and ultimately helped abolish slavery understands this concept. In his biography, “Learning to Read,” he describes his struggle of learning to read and write. He says, “I wished to learn… [and] after a long, tedious effort for years, I finally succeeded in learning” (Douglas, 50). As a slave, being educated was a difficult task, but Douglass understood its importance and desired to pursue it. At first, he despised, the education, “while they [(the arguments in the Columbian Orator)] relieved me of one difficulty, they brought on another even more painful than the one of which I was relieved,” but it eventually lead to his understanding of “abolition” and helped him free “[him]self and fellow-slaves” (48,49). The education Douglass learns from the Columbian Orator and local newspapers, among other places, is a prime example of liberal knowledge. He learned it “for the sake of knowing it.” Douglass’s example solidifies Newman’s idea that liberal education is valuable because it is proven to have “value and dignity” (Newman, 58). His example also exemplifies Freire’s point that “Liberation is a praxis: the action and reflection of men and women upon their world in order to transform it” (65). Freire believes that one
Since the beginning of slavery, African Americans have been held at a lower standard for education. American government prohibited African Americans from learning how to read, developing inequality in education and further success. White supremacists’ intentions were to allow White Americans to continue to prosper further and create barriers to prevent African Americans from succeeding. An academic journalist, Nathaniel Jackson, employed the words of John Ogbu of the University of Berkley, “…the monopolization of resources for academic enterprise (colleges, universities, foundation, and government funding agency review boards, journals, and other publishing put-lets) by the dominant group and the provisions of only limited and controlled access
The most common conflicts that cause a woman to get an abortion are based on their own personal responsibilities. Sixteen percent of women, who get abortions, believe that their life would be changed too much to acquire a child. Twenty-one percent of expectant mothers feel that they are not ready for the responsibility to care for an adolescent. Few as twelve percent have complications with relationships or are unmarried. One perecent have been raped and/or incested. Twenty-one percent have financial disputes. Eight percent currently bare children and have all they wish for. Three percent have discovered that the baby in the womb has health issues. Four perecent of the abortions are other reasons. Lastly, the abortion pill used to minimize the fetus, does not work, therefore the woman receives an
...e and prepared for college work. For a student in a black that is majority black and under resourced is highly unlikely to receive an education and graduate on time and won’t be college ready. Unfortunately this scenario happens way too often. Lots of black students do not receive the knowledge that they need to further their education in college and many students that do try to further their education do not end up finishing. Because they missed out on so much information they have a very difficult time doing their work and get the feeling that they need to drop out. It is unfortunate that today, not all students can receive a good education and have a chance a furthering their education and becoming successful. This is why it is necessary that the education system change immediately so that all students can receive an equal opportunity to further their education.
Meanwhile, as the pressure of schools losing their students due to dropout, it is important that the inner city students have the support they need in school or at home, because many years of oppression have kept African-Americans from having the will to do better. Now young African-Americans have that same oppressed feeling in the schools that they are attending. When the students give up it seems as though everyone around them wants to give up. In fact, “In many parts of the country, the problems present withi...
Censorship in School Libraries The most debatable and controversial form of censorship today is the banning of books in school libraries. Banning books that educate students is wrong and selfish. Censorship of books in school libraries is neither uncommon nor an issue of the past. Books with artistic and cultural worth are still challenged constantly by those who want to control what others read. The roots of bigotry and illiteracy that fuel efforts to censor books and free expression are unacceptable and unconditional.
Lewis, Jone Johnson. "A history of the abortion controversy in the United States." Women's History. 2004. 23 Feb. 2005
Education played a very important part in civil rights history. Much time and effort has been spent on education for the black community. It was only right and fair that all people regardless of skin color be granted an equal opportunity to earn a decent education. Protests and other events that took place on the campuses of educational institutions all over the United States have made national headlines. The issue of equality in regards to educational has remained at the vanguard of the civil rights movement long after these events took place. By taking a glance at the changes in education between the 1950s and
...d contraceptives and impending pregnancy. And abortion proves to be an emotional process affecting the life of the woman. The chances of domestic violence, family rejection, and other symptoms increase. Even if short term the damages could cause unsuspected consequences.
Macbeth could justly be classified a “Tragic Hero” as his tragic story fills out the defined criteria for a tragic hero. Macbeth holds a significant social status, reveals essential truths about humanity through his suffering, has tragically wasted talent, contains a “tragic flaw” leading to his downfall and finally he finds some relief in his death.
A Shakespearean tragic hero may be defined as “an exceptional being of high degree” who contributes to his own degeneration and illustrates a personality flaw. The character of Shakespeare’s Macbeth is in all ways the perfect example of a tragic hero. His greatness and bravery in battle for his country ultimately leads him to be a great thane and eventually a powerful king, making his actions have a significant impact on a country. Macbeth’s ambition on becoming a king leads to an obsession to remain in his current position. His ambition comes to a point where he falls to the temptation of evil which leads to Macbeth’s inevitable downfall. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth is portrayed as a brave man whose performance in Scotland’s battle is celebrated.
By choosing to murder the family, Macduff’s rage was enough to want revenge on Macbeth, having him killed. Approaching the final scenes, Malcolm and Macduff have been informed of Macbeth's latest murder. When Macduff becomes sore hearted, Malcolm steps in with words of guidance. “Be this the whetstone of your sword, let grief// Convert to anger. Blunt not the heart, enrage it.” (Ⅳ.Ⅲ, 231-232) . In these words, Macduff is told to use his rage with his sword to finally have Macbeth slaine, which inevitably brought him to his demise. After everything, Macbeth became a tragic hero because he could not and would not control his flaw, which eventually resulted in his untimely
Being furious about why his mother is marrying his uncle and how weak his own mother’s heart is. “Hamlet embraces his antic disposition the tone becomes more unstable” (Hithchings). Form the start the audience can imagine what would be the mental state of Hamlet, and what will deteriorate him throughout the whole play. “That the Everlasting had not fixed His canon 'gainst self-slaughter. O God, God” (Shakespeare, Act1, Scene2 line131-132). Hamlet wants to commit suicide, but his believing in god is one of the things that stop Hamlet from committing a sin according to Christianity. Shakespeare implemented this for the time period where Christianity is a great influence, which in the play suicide is more sinful than killing their own uncle. Also Hamlet has a deep attachment to his father because of how long he has grieving for