When the scary subject of race is finally broached, kids want to talk and talk. It's very satisfying.
Ruby BridgesRead
I've seen schools in Detroit where the windows are broken, where there's no heat, and children are sitting with their coats on in class in the middle of a snowstorm. I've also seen schools in California with Olympic-sized swimming pools and cafeterias like five-star restaurants.
Interpretation
The quote highlights the stark disparities in educational resources between different regions.
Ruby Bridges emphasizes the inequalities in the education system by contrasting the poor conditions of schools in Detroit with the luxurious facilities found in California. This comparison illustrates the need for equal opportunities in education regardless of geographic location, shedding light on the systemic issues affecting children’s learning environments.
In practice
This quote can be used in a speech advocating for educational reforms.
When the scary subject of race is finally broached, kids want to talk and talk. It's very satisfying.
I felt like there was something I needed to do - speaking to kids and sharing my story with them and helping them understand racism has no place in the minds and hearts of children.
Schools should be diverse if we are to get past racial differences.
Throughout my life, my prayers have actively sustained me - held me up, carried me through.
My message is really that racism has no place in the hearts and minds of our children.
I remember the first time seeing myself on TV, when my family was watching the documentary 'Eyes on the Prize' for the first time. There were pictures of people going up the school stairs, and Mom said, 'Oh, that's you!' I said, 'I can't believe this. This is important.'
My dream is to see every girl educated, in every country.
We've moved from wisdom to knowledge, and now we're moving from knowledge to information, and that information is so partial – that we're creating incomplete human beings.
Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.
What you have been taught by listening to others' words you will forget very quickly; what you have learned with your whole body you will remember for the rest of your life.
I can never tell ahead of time which book will give me trouble - some balk every step of the way, others seem to write themselves - but certainly the mechanics of writing, finding the time and the psychic space, are easier now that my children are grown.
The chief virtue that language can have is clarity.
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