The Value of Education by Brianna

The Value of Education by Brianna - February 2014 Scholarship Essay

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Nelson Mandela. At a very young age my father instilled in me the value of education and the importance of having many skills. I have gone to a private school for 6 years and I had the best understanding of the importance of education in my junior year. I would classify this event as one of the most important life realizations I have had so far. In my junior year I decided to take the civil rights class in the 2nd trimester at Cary Academy. I took the class because it sounded engrossing. Little did I know the class would prove to be very beneficial and one of my favorite classes.

In this class we talked about the struggle African Americans went through physically and psychological during the civil rights era. We analyzed the importance of each violent march and every nonviolent protest. I found it very interesting how African Americans were kept at a disadvantage for so long yet there were people that were capable of stepping out and standing for what they believed in-which was equal education. For example the Little Rock Nine fought to have a fair education. We learned about the physical abuse, the name calling, and the humiliation they went through just to get an education. That got me thinking “what could be so important for people to go through all of that?”, and I am here complaining about all of this education that I am getting because I have a gargantuan amount of homework.

Then I learned something very special in that class. Dr. McElreath taught me that the reason behind the anger and strong dislike of equal education was partly because whites didn’t want to mix with blacks, but mainly because knowledge is power. Power in the hands of African Americans was a scary thing at the time because it meant change. With education people were capable of knowing the best ways to fight segregation. For example, Stokely Carmichael understood that the best way for African Americans to have change was to go the political route. He found a way to get people to vote for their mayor or even police captain in the area. Eventually Carmichael got Loundes County, a county that had a high population of black people with white officials to vote in people of color into the offices. It was huge for a black man to be in a position of power at the time. That resulted in a massive change in the area all because one man had the knowledge about the political system. I found that very interesting because I never thought of it that way.

This class taught me that without education people cannot move further in life. With this realization, I have come to value my educational experiences. With this class I have learned that education is a gift that not everyone has received; therefore should not be taken advantage of. I believe this experience has shaped me as an individual who is aspiring to get the best out of any and all educational opportunities. This is why I feel this quote matches my experience exactly.