Nelson Mandela is one of the most famous political activists of all time. He has transcended the role of politician and is admired worldwide for his belief in doing what is right. He was imprisoned because he refused to lie complacent while South African, the country he loved, was torn apart by injustice. He was willing to be jailed for his convictions and spent 25 years because he was unwilling to compromise on those convictions. His dedication and sacrifice paid off eventually. Four years after his release from a South African prison, he became the country’s first Black president. The following Aha moments come from his inaugural speech in 1994.
AHA #1: We have triumphed in the effort to implant hope in the breasts of the millions of our people.
I feel there is a sense of hopelessness raging through the next generation. This is why I chose to teach. Whether they are poor, minority, or growing up in a desolate environment (many of my students fulfill the trifecta), this generation has had little guidance. Logically, a lack of guidance would make one think there is nothing to which they should look forward. There is no vision. There is a profound lack of hope. As discouraging as this is, these kids aren’t irrational for being hopeless. Why would one need hope if they feel they have no future? Hope can only be appreciated by those who value their future, and can measure it with substantial goals and dreams. Hopelessness is why students like mine choose lifestyles that lead them on a path to self-destruction. My overarching goal as a teacher is to improve kids’ academic achievement in order to positively redirect the trajectory of their lives. I plan to do this by showing students that they have a future, and therefore, a reason to be hopeful. I have yet to triumph; however, the good things is, I do have “yet.”
Aha #2: Our daily deeds as ordinary South Africans must produce an actual South African reality that will reinforce humanity's belief in justice, strengthen its confidence in the nobility of the human soul and sustain all our hopes for a glorious life for all.
Being a teacher is not just a day job. As a teacher, I’m careful to note how my actions affect my students. In the same vein, I pay more attention to how I interact with people who aren’t my students. Excellence, compassion, patience are all habits that need to be practiced even when I’m not in the classroom. If I am habitually excellent, compassionate, and patient, I’m on my way to being a true reflection of Christ. I’m rooted in Him. Because of that, I have a purpose and passion to instill hope. Teaching is the best vessel for this because it allows me to impact students on many levels. I can guide them academically. I can nurture them by listening to them. I show them I care. I can help build their confidence by showing them I won’t give up. I tell them I believe in them. MTR works with the whole person in order to make a better teacher, and I see why. My everyday actions help show the world that these children are worth it. My willingness to sacrifice, my desire to be a better person for at least their benefit, meekly validates their right to a better life.
Aha #3: The time for the healing of the wounds has come. The moment to bridge the chasms that divide us has come. The time to build is upon us.
The saying goes, “Idiocy is doing the same repeatedly and expecting different results.” I’m not out to call anyone an idiot; I know there have been ardent strides in education reform. I realize that there are good teachers who really want to see their efforts make a difference. I’m inspired by the fact that education reform has the spotlight, but I find no ease in it. People in poverty, minorities, and those without access to good teachers have been enslaved in hopelessness for too long. The playing field has not been leveled. I am convinced that education is an equalizer. It used to be that one’s skin color or some other type of discrimination was a viable barrier to success, and people would have to be realistic when setting goals, even dreaming. Everything’s not perfect, but the excuse that one’s race will hold them back is no longer substantial. If I can get the message across to my students that the world is theirs, and that a good education is just the start of seizing it… Well, I’m exactly sure what will happen when they realize this, but the results will be phenomenal… So phenomenal, I have no words to describe my anticipation of it.
John Mayer’s song “Waiting on the World to Change” was playing as I typed this paper:
Now we see everything that's going wrong
With the world and those who lead it
We just feel like we don't have the means
To rise above and beat it
It's hard to beat the system
When we're standing at a distance
So we keep waiting
Waiting on the world to change
I used to relate to this song, but I don’t any more. We can’t wait. The time has come. Nothing will change as long as we do nothing. MTR is filled with people who desire to be the change they wish to see. Mandela said it: “We understand it still that there is no easy road to freedom. We know it well that none of us acting alone can achieve success. We must therefore act together as a united people.” We all know there is no reason to be frustrated or to feel as though it can be done. As Reverend Kyles said, “Because God is who He is, as long as we don’t give up, we will win.”
