One of the most incredible, wonderful people that I know, Dr. Gloria Wade-Gayles, has just informed me that she has published a new book. If you, or anyone that you know has any interest in education/teaching check out In Praise of Our Teachers: A Multicultural Tribute to Those Who Inspired Us. Here's what Publisher's Weekly had to say about the book:
Some of America's leading intellectuals honor teachers who made a difference in this slim anthology. Spelman College professor Gayles (Pushed Back to Strength: A Black Woman's Journey Home) has gathered numerous tributes and recollections to produce a stirring commentary on the forces that inhibit equitable education in this country, as well as a compilation of remarkable stories of individuals committed to overcoming those barriers. Excerpts from a wide range of luminaries such as James Earl Jones, Howard Zinn, Nikki Giovanni, Angela Davis and Maya Angelou demonstrate how one excellent teacher can dig through poverty, racism, ignorance or just plain timidity to turn a child into a star, because the "really great teachers have this kind of x-ray vision that allows them to look at a young person and see right into that important intersection of emotion and intellect and see how to harness that ...and bring it to fruition. That kind of x-ray vision can't be taught." This could be an inspiring addition to any educator's library.
Yeah, I just bought my copy. Dr. Wade-Gayles (Aunt Gloria) is a brilliant educator/intellectual!
On another note, Howard Zinn (a contributor to Dr. Wade-Gayles' book) is one of my favorite historians. "A People's History of the United States" should be required reading in all schools. Fat chance, but it should be...