Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. —Winston Churchill

The perennial failure to provide a meaningful education for poor and minority students diminishes their quality of life and potential for future success. Some of the ways are oblivious. For example, without a good education your chances of getting a good, well-paying job are slim. However, there are subtle consequences that can rob our community of the leadership needed to move forward socially,

W.E.B. Du Bois, the first African American to earn a doctorate degree at Harvard was one of the co-founders of the National Association for Colored People (NAACP) in 1909. He earned national prominence as the leader of the Niagara Movement, a group of African American activists who wanted equal rights for blacks.

Many believe that the Harvard educated, early 20th century black scholar W.E.B. DuBois coined the phrase the “Talented 10th.” However, a Northern white liberals group known as the American Baptist Home Mission Society first used the expression in 1896 to define their goal of establishing black colleges to train African American teachers and professionals such as physicians,

Suicide is the third leading cause of death of individuals between the ages of 15 to 26 years of age. There can be many reasons why students take their lives: depression, bullying, sadness over the loss of an important relationship, stress and the fear of failure.