Remember and help America remember that the fellowship of human beings is more important than the fellowship of race and class and gender in a democratic society.
Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Education should be focused on enhancing the lives of individuals and making positive changes in society.
Marian Wright Edelman's quote emphasizes the fundamental purpose of education as a tool for uplifting individuals and communities. It highlights that true education goes beyond personal advancement; it encompasses a responsibility to use knowledge and skills to improve the world around us. By learning, we gain the ability to contribute positively, ensuring that our influence results in a better future for others.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a graduation speech, one might say, 'As Marian Wright Edelman stated, education is for improving the lives of others, reminding us to use our knowledge for social betterment.'
More from Marian Wright Edelman
All quotes →Far less wealthy industrialized countries have committed to end child poverty, while the United States is sliding backwards. We can do better. We must demand that our leaders do better.
Dr. King used to say, 'I was sitting in the back of the bus, but my mind was always up front.' Don't let anybody tell you that you can't do it. You aim high and you work very hard and now I think it's clear that you can be anything you want to.
The outside world told black kids when I was growing up that we weren't worth anything. But our parents said it wasn't so, and our churches and our schoolteachers said it wasn't so. They believed in us, and we, therefore, believed in ourselves.
I was taught that the world had a lot of problems; that I could struggle and change them; that intellectual and material gifts brought the privilege and responsibility of sharing with others less fortunate; and that service is the rent each of us pays for living - the very purpose of life and not something you do in your spare time or after you have reached your personal goals.
We must always refill and ensure there is a critical mass of leaders and activists committed to nonviolence and racial and economic justice who will keep seeding and building transforming movements.
Similar quotes
No one has yet realized the wealth of sympathy, the kindness and generosity hidden in the soul of a child. The effort of every true education should be to unlock that treasure.
A child is not a vase to be filled, but a fire to be lit.
Education without morals is like a ship without a compass, merely wandering nowhere.
Free curiosity is of more value in learning than harsh discipline.
Teachers' working conditions are students' learning conditions
So what should we say when children complete a task—say, math problems—quickly and perfectly? Should we deny them the praise they have earned? Yes. When this happens, I say, “Whoops. I guess that was too easy. I apologize for wasting your time. Let’s do something you can really learn from!