Education, the Great Equalizer

Mendez v. Westminster: The Unknown Civil Rights Victory That Created Racial Equality

Submitted by Mary Castillo on Tue, 02/15/2011 - 00:00
From:
Sylvia Mendez as a child

Editors Note: President Barack Obama awards the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Sylvia Mendez and 14 other Americans who have made invaluable contributions. USARiseUp congratulates all the recipients for their life-long work to improve humanity. USARiseUp is especially pleased to bring to the forefront this article that featured her story last year. 

Only Bold Actions Will Fix Nation's Ailing Schools

Submitted by Janice S. Ellis Ph.D. on Tue, 03/16/2010 - 23:00
From:
Barack and Michelle Obama with school children

Lamenting the dysfunctional state of many of our nation’s public schools has been a perennial refrain for decades. However, to fix what is wrong will require courageous decisions implemented by communities across the country, despite strong resistance.

Fortunately, some public schools are producing students who demonstrate high academic achievement, and can compete not only with peers here in America but with those across the globe. However, those schools that demonstrate consistent academic excellence, unfortunately, are not the norm.

Conducting Freedom Through Education ... National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

Submitted by David Wolfford on Fri, 02/19/2010 - 00:00
From:
front facade of the Nation Underground Railroad Freedom Center

On the northern shore of the Ohio River in Cincinnati, stands the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. Opened in 2004, the massive 158,000 square-foot facility educates visitors about slavery and parallel injustice issues. The Center houses slavery and abolition exhibits as well as theaters presenting informative documentaries and programs relevant to past and present human rights violations. The Center’s mission is to “Reveal stories about freedom’s heroes, past and present, challenging and inspiring everyone to take courageous steps for freedom today.”

Percy Julian ... A Man Who Dared To Cross Racial Boundaries To Achieve His Dreams

Submitted by Kevin C Morris on Thu, 02/18/2010 - 00:00
From:
Percy Lavon Julian working in a lab

Hidden stories, like hidden jewels, are often the most treasured and precious possessions we could ever hope to find. Such is the case with the story of Percy Lavon Julian, one of America’s preeminent chemists, business leaders, and civil rights pioneers. Like a buried treasure, the story of this brilliant American offers as much value because of what it teaches us about our past, as it inspires us today.

Luis Walter Alvarez: A Call To Curiosity Leads To Major Scientific Advances

Submitted by Jessica Rodriguez on Thu, 02/11/2010 - 00:00
From:

Luis Walter Alvarez liked to ask tough questions. As an experimental scientist, Dr. Alvarez used his innate curiosity to answer some of science’s most fundamental queries and change the way people understood the world.