Vernard T. Gant, Director of Urban School Services, ACSI
In 1894, upon the dedication of the new industrial school for blacks in Manassas, Virginia, which at one time had been a major battleground during the Civil War, Frederick Douglass uttered the enduring statement, “Education … means emancipation…. It means light and liberty…. To deny education to any people is one of the greatest crimes against human nature. It is to deny them the means of freedom and the rightful pursuit of happiness.”
More than a century later, Secretary of Education Rod Paige (2004) added, “Without an education, our people cannot secure their freedom. Education is often the battleground for freedom.”
Both of these education freedom fighters were speaking in reference to a people denied an equal and quality education. Both statements were made concerning the importance of an education for functioning successfully and effectively in society. Both statements reflect the essentialness of an excellent education for freedom.
Nearly one-third of African American children and more than one-fourth of Latino children live in poverty. An equal number of children live near the poverty level. To compound matters, they are being educated at such low levels that their life chances of improvement are greatly diminished, as is shown in the following examples:
- More than a third of Latino students do not finish high school.
- Most African American fourth and eighth graders in urban school districts do math and read at below basic levels.
- Many African American students finish school with 12 years worth of schooling but only 8 years worth of education.
For these children, an education that should be an instrument of attainment has become instead an instrument of containment. They are locked in at the bottom and left behind. They are bound to occupy the bottom strata of society—unless they are educated. For these children, an education means freedom. It represents the way out. Through education, they can overcome their life’s circumstances.
For many children, the education they are receiving in Christian and private schools is a nicety. They have options, or support mechanisms in place, so that even if they were not attending these schools, they would have other avenues to success. For the mostly poor and minority children in urban areas, however, Christ-centered education represents an absolute necessity.
In Matthew 25:31–46, Jesus identifies and describes those who will ultimately fail and pass in life. In discussing those who fail, he explains the reason for their failure. Each time, they saw Him in need but did not bring their resources to bear upon His needs. The implications are threefold. First, they had the needed resources. Jesus’ statements imply that it was in their ability to supply what they did not give. They had food, water, shelter, clothes, and the abilities to care for and visit. If they did not have these items and abilities, they would not have been held accountable for providing them. Second, they were aware of the needs around them. They saw the needs; they just did not realize that by failing to help the needy, they were failing to help Jesus. As a result, they felt no obligation to address those needs. Finally, they made a conscious choice not to bring their resources to bear upon those in need. Because of this decision, they failed.
In like manner, the Jesus-centered education we have to offer is absolutely essential for the very survival of children in our midst. Let us be wary lest we run the risk of that fateful pronouncement, “I was uneducated, and you did not educate me.” To which the failing response would be, “Lord, when did we see you uneducated…?”
References
Douglass, Frederick. 1894. An oration delivered at the Manassas Industrial School, Manassas, VA, September 3.
Paige, Rod. 2004. Remarks delivered at the Juneteenth National Holiday Observance, Washington, DC, June 19.
Christ-Centered Education—An Urban Necessity 8.1