Gov. Jeb Bush: Looking toward that future, I believe that while
decades ago the struggle was for access to education, today our challenge
as Floridians is to ensure access to a quality education.
That means setting high standards for every school and
every student in our state, and never letting race or socioeconomic
status be an excuse to give up on a child or to employ the 'soft bigotry of low expectations.'
The Daytona Beach News-Journal
February 10, 2002
Note from Daytona Beach News-Journals editors:
As part of this year's celebration of Black History Month, Gov. Jeb Bush held an essay contest which asked Florida students to answer the question, "What impact has black history had on my life?" Three winners were announced last week and excerpts from their essays appear on this page.
In a column that appeared on the editorial page of the News-Journal, Bush was challenged to answer the same question. Here is his reply:
Education Makes the Difference
Florida Voices
By: Governor Jeb Bush
Of all the facets of the African-American experience we celebrate during Black History Month, one of the most important to me is how critical a quality education has been to the growth and opportunities of African-Americans, particularly here in Florida.
Prior to the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, generations of African-American children were punished for attempting to read or trying to better themselves through education. For them, liberation meant in practical terms the freedom to learn. That principle -- education is liberation -- is still true today.
Black History Month also reminds me that communities and churches have been instrumental in fostering educational excellence. Many of the first schools for African-Americans in our state were churches, and the Bible was the first book many children learned how to read. Four of those original church/schoolhouses still exist here in Tallahassee, including those affiliated with Concord AME and New Zion Baptist Church. I feel we should also be proud of Florida's leadership in higher education for African-Americans. Of the 120 historically black colleges and universities, four are in Florida: Bethune-Cookman, Edward Waters, Florida Memorial and Florida A&M University. Community support, including support from faith-based institutions, remains essential today at all levels of education.
Some of Black History's most triumphant moments, of course, occurred during the Civil Rights Movement and were about securing access to education. From the Brown vs. Board of Education decision in 1954 to the Little Rock Nine, the right of black children to attend school was central in the struggle for civil rights.
Florida had its own share of struggles which helped to ensure access. Forty-two years ago this month, the first lunch-counter sit-in occurred in Tallahassee. That led to the integration of lunch counters, movie theaters and beaches in that city.
We must also continue to honor those African American Floridians who are such a big part of our state history, including Jonathan C. Gibbs, James Weldon Johnson and Mary McLeod Bethune.
On a personal level, I try to keep in mind always that black history is being written as we speak. As governor, I meet and work with so many African-Americans who are passionate about our future as Floridians. It is an incredible privilege to live in a state with so much ethnic diversity and where people of so many different backgrounds can share in a vision of a common future.
Looking toward that future, I believe that while decades ago the struggle was for access to education, today our challenge as Floridians is to ensure access to a quality education. That means setting high standards for every school and every student in our state, and never letting race or socioeconomic status be an excuse to give up on a child or to employ the "soft bigotry of low expectations."
I hope the study of black history encourages every Florida student to hold themselves to high standards. Together, we can work towards making the dreams of generations of African-American heroes become a reality today.