Can someone please help me? This truly pulls my heart strings. Im trying to understand when and where we dropped the ball. There was a time when a high school diploma was a great achievement for us. My maternal and paternal grandparents each had a sixth grade education. Not because they didnt want to continue their schoolin, but their time( 1920-1930), place (Georgia, Arkansas, Tennessee) and era (Jim Crow) dictated something other than education. As I taught my students via literary analysis, the cultural climate of time and place can dictate behavior, habits, actions, beliefs, values and so on (Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines). With faith in God, an incomparable work ethic, perseverance, and common sense, Granny, Pops, Momma Willie and Daddy Monroe managed to live long, fulfilling and prosperous lives. They even had some left over for those they left behind...all with a sixth grade education. Their dream, goal and EXPECTATION, was that my parents/aunts/uncles grabbed the ball and carried it further. They acquired high school diplomas in addition to a Cosmetology and an Electronics License. Their expectation for us was that we grab the ball and carry it even further than they did. With each generation, the expectation becomes greater, further and higher. This is nothing new. It pertains to a majority reading this post. With that being said...Can someone please explain to me (like Im a five year old), in the year 2014, how have weve gotten to a time and place where a high school diploma is a major achievement and not a minor expectation?
Posted on: Thu, 29 May 2014 19:35:44 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015