Education
YOU HAVE A DUTY TO BECOME EDUCATED
(YOU DO NOT HAVE A RIGHT TO BE IGNORANT)
During the time of slavery in this country, it was a crime for the enslaved people to learn to read and write. This fact illustrates the power of knowledge. The enslavers knew that KNOWLEDGE IS POWER! They knew that it was very difficult to keep educated people enslaved.
Very severe punishments were inflicted for learning to read and write.
One of many horrific true stories is that of a man whose eyes were burned out as a punishment for learning to read. He made his granddaughter promise that she would get the best education possible. (She kept her promise.)
In a sermon, Rev. Marvin McMickle, Pastor of Antioch Baptist Church of Cleveland, told another story of an enslaved woman who was caught reading and using a finger to point to the words as she read. As a punishment, the finger she was using was cut off. Later she was again caught reading using another finger to follow the words.
Rev. McMickle made the very pertinent point that because of the many very significant loving sacrifices made by our ancestors, their descendants— including you and me— ARE OBLIGATED TO BECOME EDUCATED. WE HAVE NO RIGHT TO BE IGNORANT.
In other words, young people, YOU HAVE A DUTY TO BECOME EDUCATED. YOU HAVE A DUTY TO DO THE BEST THAT YOU CAN TO LEARN EVERY ONE OF YOUR SCHOOL SUBJECTS.
Always do the very best that you can in everything you do. If it is worth doing, it is worth doing well. Take pride in doing your best.
You owe this to your parents, your grandparents, and all of those who came before you and worked and suffered for you to have educational opportunities. Will you say “Thank you!” by doing the very best that you can in your school work?