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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 10, 2018)
Page 22 The Skanner January 10, 2018 Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. King’s Lasting Impact on Equity in Education By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Columnist r. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s influence on the Civil Rights Movement is indis- putable, but his fight for equity in education re- mains a mystery to some. That fight began with his own education. “He clearly had an ad- vanced, refined educa- tional foundation from Booker T. Washington D High School, Morehouse College, Crozer Theologi- cal Seminary, and Boston University,” said Rever- end Jesse Jackson, Sr., the founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. “His ed- ucation in his speeches and sermons and writ- ings were apparent and he wanted us all to have that type of education.” King completed high school at 15, college at 19, seminary school at 22 and earned a doctorate at 26. “Dr. King laid down the case for affordable education for all Amer- icans, including Polish children—from the ghet- to and the barrios, to the Appalachian mountains and the reservations—he was a proponent for edu- cation for all and he be- lieved that strong minds break strong chains and once you learn your les- son well, the oppressor could not unlearn you.” Rev. Al Sharpton, the founder and president of the National Action Network (NAN), said that NAN works with Educa- tion for a Better America to partner with school districts, universities, community colleges, churches, and communi- ty organizations around the country to conduct educational program- ming for students and parents. “The mission of the or- ganization has been to build bridges between policymakers and the classrooms by support- ing innovations in ed- ucation and creating a dialogue between policy- makers, community lead- ers, educators, parents, and students,” Sharpton said. “We’re promoting student health, finan- cial literacy, and college readiness in our commu- nities, just like Dr. King did.” “When you look at his values, he always saw ed- ucation, especially in the Black community, as a tool to uplift and inspire to action,” Sharpton said. “It’s definitely no coinci- dence that a number of prominent civil rights groups that emerged during Dr. King’s time, were based on college campuses.” Sharpton added that Astronaut cont’d from pg 18 orated NASA astronauts, dignitaries, relatives, and friends, who had flown and driven miles across the country to honor Lawrence at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Lawrence’s older sister, Dr. Barbara Lawrence, at- tended and spoke; anoth- er prominent Chicago resident who was pres- ent was E. Dawn Griffin, the oldest daughter of Ernest Griffin, founder of Griffin Funeral Home in Bronzeville. The Grif- fin Funeral Home, which closed in 2012, handled the funeral arrange- ments for Lawrence. Members from Law- rence’s college fraterni- ty, Omega Psi Phi, also attended to honor one of their own. On the sprawling grounds of the NASA facility, they par- ticipated in a two-and- a-half-hour ceremony that began at the Cen- ter for Space Education and culminated with an emotional wreath-laying ceremony at the base of the national Space Mir- ror Memorial, a massive black granite structure where Lawrence’s name is among those of 20 as- tronauts who either died in flight or in training. The ceremony brought out some of NASA’s as- tronauts and biggest of- ficials. Charles Bolden, America’s first Black NASA chief administra- tor, and Stephanie Wil- son, the second Black female astronaut, attend- ed the service. Another Black astronaut, Win- King routinely pushed for equality to access to education. “Just as importantly, he always made a point to refer education back to character — that we shouldn’t sacrifice ef- ficiency and speed for morals,” Sharpton said. “A great student not only has the reason and edu- cation, but a moral com- pass to do what’s right with his or her gifts. It’s not just important to be smart, you have to know what’s right and what’s wrong.” Dr. Wornie Reed, the director of Race and So- cial Policy Research Cen- ter at Virginia Tech who marched with King, said when he thinks of King and education, he imme- diately considers the late civil rights leader’s advo- cating that “we should be the best that we could be.” ston Scott, played the trumpet in a band that performed various jazz songs, including, “Fly Me to the Moon.” Reported- ly, jazz was one of Law- rence’s favorite musical genres. Dr. Herman B. White Jr., a physicist and lec- turer at Bradley Univer- sity in Peoria, Ill., Law- rence’s alma mater, gave a presentation where a memorial scholarship and a conference room bear Lawrence’s name. Recently, Ohio State Uni- versity in Columbus, Ohio renamed a dormito- ry in Lawrence’s honor. Bolden, who piloted the space shuttles Columbia and Discovery, praised Lawrence for his spirit. “He took that first step,” Bolden said. “If he had lived, he would have been flying on that space shuttle also.” Col. Robert Cabana, who flew on four shuttle missions, agreed. “Major Robert H. Law- rence truly was a hero,” said Cabana. “He set the stage for what was to come.” Dr. Barbara Lawrence shared her experiences with her brother as they grew up on the South Side of Chicago. She said, when Robert was young, he was a very disciplined student and dedicated to learning. “I’m truly proud to have been his sister,” she shared. “He wasn’t inter- ested in being the first Black astronaut. He was only interested in being given the opportunity to do what he wanted to do. I’m sorry he wasn’t here a little longer, but I think his job was one that was well done.”
