"The Most Powerful Weapon"

image via http://pixabay.com/

I have been to Memphis twice.  It is one of my favorite cities.  I love the blues, the barbecue, and the people.  My adventures in Memphis have included Bob Dylan, Beale Street, Graceland, both Sun and STAX Studios, and some of the finest barbecue outside my hometown of Kansas City.  However, the true jewel in Memphis is the National Civil Rights Museum.  It has been a stop both times I have been there and it will be a stop the next time I go. 

When I went last summer, there was an exhibit about education and the Civil Rights Movement.  In fact the museum seems to be dedicating itself to continuing to advance civil rights by fighting for the right to a true equal education.  As part of the exhibit, there were several quotes on a wall focusing on the power of education.  The one that stuck with me was one by none other than Nelson Mandela - "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."

To say that quote caught my eye is a gross understatement.  I knew of Nelson Mandela's legacy.  Who doesn't?  He has been an inspiration to millions of people.  Yet, I am ashamed to admit, I had never read that statement before.  His words shook something loose in my brain.  It seemed to awaken a belief I had long held, but had never allowed to come to the surface.  "Education as a weapon?" I thought, "Brilliant!"

It is no secret that our world needs change and it is easy to become discouraged thinking that change will never come, no matter how loud and proud Sam Cooke belted it out.  As dysfunctional as our society appears, I still have to believe that one day our world will change for the better.  I believe that there will be a generation, perhaps even the generation sitting in my classroom today, that will rise up and end the discord that reigns in our society.  I also believe this will only happen through education.  This belief has become the one and only tenet of my faith - it is the one thing keeping me going, making me work harder and harder each day.  I am working to change the world - one student at a time.

Education allows students to explore their world and develop their own moral code.  The power of an education well delivered is not teaching students what to think, but how to think.  After reading Nelson Mandela's quote, I re-dedicated myself to giving students the ability to think for themselves, to teaching them defend their opinions and answers, and to instilling a sense of empathy for their fellow human beings. 

It is always sad when such a great person passes away, but it is hard for me to stay mournful tonight.  Tonight I am thankful for Nelson Mandela.  I am thankful for a life well-lived.  And I am thankful for his words that renewed my sense of purpose in teaching.  I am not just a glorified babysitter.  I am an arms dealer - selling my students the greatest weapon in the world, the only weapon I hope they ever use, the one weapon that can actually make a positive change:  an education.