Good Morning Mr Williams, Mrs. Evans, honorable staff, notable guest, and the dynamic Class of 2016.
The Great Muhammad Ali once declared “I am America. I am the part you won't recognize. But get used to me. Black, confident, cocky; my name, not yours; my religion, not yours; my goals, my own; get used to me.” Ali was an African American boxer and activist who fought against social injustice toward the black people. At the time, of Muhammad Ali’s words, the law permitted segregated schools where blacks were placed in under resourced institutions and expected to learn at the same caliber as everyone else. Many African American males did not make it passed elementary education, let alone the completion of their high school years.
In the modern day this same concept exist in a sense/ Slipping through the cracks as an African American male has never been easier. We are enticed by drugs, gangs, as well a negatively portrayed by the media and society. It is easy for us to give up instead of powering forward and reaching for our goals. We begin to go unrecognized. However, I have chosen to never let a minor setback derail me from earning the success that I deserve.
Let’s take a second to reflect on my life: In 2009, I was a small fifth grade student who fell short of this honor by just a few steps. …show more content…
That day, I remember sitting down in the auditorium with tears in my eyes because I felt as though I had failed myself. I remember my fifth grade teacher, Mr Higgins, telling me, “Divine, you are such a bright child and have nothing to be ashamed of. The important goal is to never lose your fight, your passion, your conviction, and your spirit. You will be successful and with diligence you will one day achieve all your goals. The important times to be valedictorian are high school and in college.” With those words, my spirit was lifted and I made a decision that I would reach this honor one day in my academic career. When I graduated from eighth grade, I had done it. I had achieved the highest rank in my school (which happened to be this school), but I was told I could not be valedictorian because eighth grade was not really a graduation, more so a ceremony to mark the completion of our elementary years. Once again, I was sad but I never gave up my fight. I stand before you, a black man, the first male valedictorian of the Secondary School for Journalism. I believe anyone here can relate to Langston Hughes’ words when he remarked, “Life ain't been no crystal stair”. Together, we have endured constant changes in leadership, high teacher turnover, a shift from the third floor to the ground level and the infamous merge. Through all of those roadblocks we stand here united as a symbol of resilience. With this experience we gained the knowledge that we need to conquer any situation that we are thrown. We chose not to be victims of poor circumstances, but to fight for everything we wanted and deserve, Much like Muhammad Ali did his entire career. I remember being told, “Divine, I know you have high expectations, but be realistic good schools don't want students from our school.” I also remember laughing at the statement this pass May when I had the opportunity of choosing between 16
The Great Muhammad Ali once declared “I am America. I am the part you won't recognize. But get used to me. Black, confident, cocky; my name, not yours; my religion, not yours; my goals, my own; get used to me.” Ali was an African American boxer and activist who fought against social injustice toward the black people. At the time, of Muhammad Ali’s words, the law permitted segregated schools where blacks were placed in under resourced institutions and expected to learn at the same caliber as everyone else. Many African American males did not make it passed elementary education, let alone the completion of their high school years.
In the modern day this same concept exist in a sense/ Slipping through the cracks as an African American male has never been easier. We are enticed by drugs, gangs, as well a negatively portrayed by the media and society. It is easy for us to give up instead of powering forward and reaching for our goals. We begin to go unrecognized. However, I have chosen to never let a minor setback derail me from earning the success that I deserve.
Let’s take a second to reflect on my life: In 2009, I was a small fifth grade student who fell short of this honor by just a few steps. …show more content…
That day, I remember sitting down in the auditorium with tears in my eyes because I felt as though I had failed myself. I remember my fifth grade teacher, Mr Higgins, telling me, “Divine, you are such a bright child and have nothing to be ashamed of. The important goal is to never lose your fight, your passion, your conviction, and your spirit. You will be successful and with diligence you will one day achieve all your goals. The important times to be valedictorian are high school and in college.” With those words, my spirit was lifted and I made a decision that I would reach this honor one day in my academic career. When I graduated from eighth grade, I had done it. I had achieved the highest rank in my school (which happened to be this school), but I was told I could not be valedictorian because eighth grade was not really a graduation, more so a ceremony to mark the completion of our elementary years. Once again, I was sad but I never gave up my fight. I stand before you, a black man, the first male valedictorian of the Secondary School for Journalism. I believe anyone here can relate to Langston Hughes’ words when he remarked, “Life ain't been no crystal stair”. Together, we have endured constant changes in leadership, high teacher turnover, a shift from the third floor to the ground level and the infamous merge. Through all of those roadblocks we stand here united as a symbol of resilience. With this experience we gained the knowledge that we need to conquer any situation that we are thrown. We chose not to be victims of poor circumstances, but to fight for everything we wanted and deserve, Much like Muhammad Ali did his entire career. I remember being told, “Divine, I know you have high expectations, but be realistic good schools don't want students from our school.” I also remember laughing at the statement this pass May when I had the opportunity of choosing between 16