First lady says education equals success
By McClatchy Washington Bureau, adapted by Newsela staff
02.23.15
Grade Level 8
Word Count 525
WASHINGTON — On Friday, First Lady Michelle Obama said that the most important issue facing blacks
today is education. A group of women who are veterans of the civil rights movement were at her side as
she gave her speech.
The first lady was speaking during an event
marking Black History Month. The women
who joined her, she said, represented many
different aspects and eras of the civil rights
movement. Still, as different as they are,
"there is something that connects each of
their stories," she said. What they all share
in common is a "hunger for and belief in the
power of education.”
The first lady was speaking during an event marking Black History Month. The women who joined her, she
said, represented many different aspects and eras of the civil rights movement. Still, as different as they
are, "there is something that connects each of their stories," she said. What they all share in common is a
"hunger for and belief in the power of education.”
Overcoming Obstacles
The civil rights movement veterans who joined Obama at the White House included two who broke down
barriers to attend school: Charlayne Hunter-Gault and Carlotta Walls LaNier. Hunter-Gault was one of the
first black students to attend the previously whites-only University of Georgia. LaNier was the youngest
member of the Little Rock Nine, the group of black high school students barred from entering Arkansas’
Little Rock Central High School, which at the time only admitted whites.
LaNier and Hunter-Gault often faced physical resistance while attempting to receive an education, but
managed to overcome all obstacles.
Obama said that while times have changed, many children today still fail to meet their full potential. Even
if there are no longer mobs with bricks and bottles keeping young black women from attending college,
many still do not manage to get the education they should.
“Nobody needs a military escort to get to class — but that doesn’t mean that our children don’t still face
struggles when it comes to education,” she said.
Don't Fall Behind In Life
While the high school graduation rate for black students is on the rise, it still remains the lowest rate of all
the racial groups in the country.
Because of that, Obama urged the young women in attendance to go to school no matter what — even if
it means attending “bad” schools with crumbling facilities and outdated technology. She insisted that if
children fall behind in school, they fall behind in life.
"We simply cannot afford to lose out on the potential of even one young person,” she said. “We cannot
allow even one more young person to fall through the cracks.”
Education, she said, is key when it comes to solving problems such as high rates of imprisonment, poverty
and racial profiling.
The first lady is a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School. She heads the program Reach
Higher, an effort to boost the desire for college education in high schoolers.
Education Equals Success
Friday's event was co-hosted by Essence magazine, a magazine for African-American women that recently
released its first issue in 45 years without a photo on the cover. Instead of an image, the cover features
the words, “BLACK LIVES MATTER.”
Essence Editor-in-Chief Vanessa K. DeLuca moderated Friday's panel discussion, which focused on the
continuing importance of education.
“Education is still the key to success,” LaNier said. “Be prepared to open that door. You need all the
education you can possibly get, because that door might be a crack or flung wide open.”
Extended Response
Do you think this is an important issue for the First Lady to talk about? Why or why not?
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