| Courtney Sanders, accompanied by her mother Hope | | | | increasingly at the bottom of every standardized test |
| Sanders and History teacher, recently celebrated her | | | | taken in the state of Texas, Ron Price, Trustee, |
| fifteenth birthday and was honored on the floor of | | | | Dallas Independent School District stressed that times |
| the Texas State House of Representatives. What | | | | have changed as it relates to educating Black youth. |
| was her accomplishment? Courtney Sanders earned | | | | He stressed that more must be done to address the |
| first place honors in the Senior Individual Exhibit | | | | depressed system that our youth often become lost |
| category at the Houston Independent School | | | | in with respect to academic achievement. He |
| District's Regional History Fair which qualified her for | | | | recognized also that children are often faced with |
| the state-level Texas History Day contest held at | | | | struggles they deem as insurmountable and tend to |
| the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum in | | | | give up because they feel they have been |
| Austin. Texas History Day is part of a National | | | | abandoned by the educational system and at times |
| History Day observance which is a year-long | | | | the community. At the same symposium, Dr. Sterling |
| educational endeavor providing students in grades six | | | | Land III stated that we have to instill in children the |
| through twelve with an opportunity to hone and | | | | importance of self-respect, strength of mind and |
| develop their knowledge of history and to | | | | character and determination even in the face of |
| demonstrate their understanding of various historical | | | | adversity. He further stressed that the only way to |
| perspectives through group and individual projects. | | | | do this is to enter their world determined to reclaim |
| Each year it is estimated that approximately 20,000 | | | | them and make a definitive impact ourselves as |
| Texas students participate in the contest, but only | | | | opposed to leaving it to others to accomplish. |
| 900 students are selected to advance to the | | | | Courtney Sanders knows what it means to possess |
| state-level competition. | | | | a strong will and made up mind in the face of |
| Courtney Sanders is a 9th grade student at | | | | difficulty. Courtney's school, a predominately minority |
| Kashmere Senior High School, a magnet school for | | | | school, was just earlier designated for possible |
| talented and gifted students in Houston, Texas | | | | closure because of low achieving academic scores. |
| where she is an honor roll student, a peer tutor and | | | | Courtney says that some children who attend the |
| member of the student council, KS Book Club and | | | | magnet school thrive in their cluster courses but |
| Leadership Team. She is shy, reserved and of pretty | | | | struggle academically or they thrive academically but |
| small physical stature but this young lady, when | | | | struggle with their cluster classes. She further notes |
| speaking, draws you in and commands attention with | | | | that her teachers believe that her success is due |
| a very direct but gentle way of expression, filled with | | | | largely because she is able to master both academics |
| a wisdom which far transcends her tender youth. | | | | and cluster course work but Courtney attributes her |
| The theme for this year's history fair was, "Triumph | | | | success to her faith in God and a support network |
| and Tragedy" and Courtney chose as her subject | | | | of family, church, friends and caring teachers. She |
| matter, Helen Keller who was a deaf and blind author, | | | | lamented the problems faced by the struggling school |
| activist and lecturer who lost her sight at nineteen | | | | but stated she was hopeful that the school might |
| months old as a result of what is believed to have | | | | soon know at time of stability as opposed to |
| been scarlet fever or meningitis. Advised by | | | | uncertainty. Courtney's mother recalled a time when |
| Alexander Graham Bell, then working with the deaf | | | | the school thrived, when there was parental |
| and blind population and considered to be an expert, | | | | involvement and there were teachers who |
| Helen's parents were encouraged to seek assistance | | | | shepherded young children through the tough, |
| from The Perkins Institute for the Blind. The school | | | | tumultuous and sometimes unpredictability of youth. |
| delegated as Helen's teacher, Anne Sullivan, 20 years | | | | She pointed out that this apparent shift in paradigm |
| old and herself blind but determined to enter Helen's | | | | has been for children most destructive and definitely |
| world and make an impact despite the barriers faced | | | | plays a role in how poorly children perform on tests |
| by Helen's disabilities. Helen was isolated from her | | | | and how they now more than ever tend to struggle |
| family as her teacher and mentor used the time to | | | | with coping with daily life and sometimes to the point |
| teach the unruly Helen discipline and to plat the seeds | | | | of giving up. Hope and Courtney exhort parents and |
| which would later develop into a veracious and | | | | those who care about children not to give up on |
| insatiable thirst for language and a desire to | | | | them but to continue to push children and to expect |
| communicate with others. Courtney said that she | | | | and demand great things from them and to let them |
| was inspired by the fact that Helen's situation was | | | | know not only that they can make it but that you |
| indeed tragic and while she could have simply chosen | | | | will be there for them every step of the way. |
| to give up, she struggled through the difficulties she | | | | Courtney is the youngest of seven children who |
| faced, through the pain, disappointments, | | | | gives back to her community by volunteering at a |
| misunderstandings, anger and sorrow. Courtney | | | | domestic violence shelter at which her mother Hope |
| explained that it is often so very easy for one to | | | | is director and she is also an active member of |
| look at one's own situation and view it as impossible, | | | | Fellowship Baptist Church. Courtney's future goals are |
| but if we could all think about how Helen Keller faced | | | | to complete high school and to be admitted into |
| her challenges and meet it with the same will, | | | | Oxford University located in Oxford, England where |
| determination, gratitude and hope, "we would all be | | | | she intends to honor her mom and dad and those |
| better off...". | | | | who have been an inspiration to her by continuing her |
| At a recent symposium to highlight solutions to | | | | educational success in the study of theatre and art. |
| changing the plight of Black children who are | | | | |