SPEAKING FROM THE HEART - TODAY IS A DAY OF REMINISCING. I CANNOT OPEN A TEXTBOOK WITHOUT CHECKING TO SEE IF ANY PAGES ARE MISSING. I CANNOT OPEN A TEXTBOOK WITHOUT DETECTING THE SLIGHTEST STENCH OF VOMIT & DAMPNESS ASSAILING MY NOSTRILS. I AM A CHILD OF THE 50S - THE PERIOD WHEN THE TOPIC OF INTEGRATION WAS SPOKEN IN WHISPERS. YOU SEE, DURING THOSE DAYS CHILDREN OF COLOR WERE NEVER ASSIGNED A NEW TEXTBOOK, BUT WERE ASSIGNED USED TEXTBOOKS THAT WERE INTENTIONALLY DESTROYED. DESTROYED BY TEARING OUT PAGES RANDOMLY. DESTROYED BY VOMIT SMEARED THROUGHOUT THE BOOK. DESTROYED BY LEAVING BOOKS OUTSIDE IN THE RAIN. BUT, WHAT COULD NOT BE DESTROYED WAS THE DETERMINATION OF OUR TEACHERS - TO TEACH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US TO THE BEST OF THEIR ABILITIES, REGARDLESS OF LIMITED RESOURCES. WHAT COULD NOT BE DESTROYED WAS THE DETERMINATION OF US, THE STUDENTS - TO LEARN TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITIES, REGARDLESS OF LIMITED RESOURCES. WHAT COULD NOT BE DESTROYED WAS THE LOVE AND RESPECT THAT WAS DISPLAYED ON A DAILY BASIS BETWEEN TEACHERS AND STUDENTS. WHAT COULD NOT BE DESTROYED WAS THE THIRST FOR KNOWLEDGE. WHAT COULD NOT BE DESTROYED WAS THE DESIRE TO EXCEL. WHAT WAS DESTROYED WAS THE HATRED OF A BYGONE ERA THAT WE WOULD NOT LET DEFINE US!!
Posted on: Tue, 21 Jan 2014 01:45:03 +0000