Greetings to all of you. I’m glad to be here. Like most of you here today, I immigrated here from Haiti as a young girl, so I know what it’s like to have to adjust to a new country, a new language, and a new way of life. But judging from what I’ve heard about you, Edison Students, I think you guys are adjusting quite well. I was so proud to see so many of you step forward to prevent the state from closing your school. That took a lot of courage, and because of your actions, more and more people in Florida are stepping forward to challenge the policies of the State Board of Education, particularly its FCAT policies, and to demand the highest quality of education for all of Florida’s students. So thank you again Edison Students, for shining the light, and leading the way.
Twenty years ago, when I first started teaching in Brooklyn, New York, I would always encourage my students to take their schooling seriously. I know you do. You already know that the most powerful nine letter word in the dictionary is: EDUCATION. It is not the word Glamorous (referring to Hip Hop song by Fergie.). But education is glamorous. When you are educated, you become glamorous. So the most important message I want to share with you today is this: Keep doing the right thing. Keep taking your education seriously.
Part of the education that you owe to yourself is to know who you are, to know your history, your roots. My spouse and I wrote the book, Bicentennial, Haiti’s Gift to the World, so that our children could have a permanent record of their country’s history in their hands. It’s a book that celebrate’s Haiti’s role as the mother of liberty. Haiti is the first modern nation to abolish slavery and to affirm the human rights of all people. This year, England and many islands in the Caribbean are celebrating the 200th anniversary of the end of slave trading. You need to know that this celebration is possible because Haiti stepped forward and led the way and others followed.
Today, Haiti is facing many difficulties. We are overpopulated. That means that there are too many people and not enough resources for all of us. We are destroying our environment. We need to find ways to support ourselves that do not destroy nature. We need work, we need money. There are many problems in our country that need to be solved. For those of you who are Haitian American, people back home are counting on you to get a solid education so that you can help solve some of those problems.
You have a lot more opportunities in this country. Take full advantage of these opportunities. This school is a great resource. Utilize this resource. It’s not being given to you freely, although you may think it is. Tax payer dollars are what sustains this school. That means that your education is being paid for by your working parents. I pay my taxes too. I also contribute to paying for your education. So please don’t waste my money. Don’t waste your parent’s money.
Get educated. Invest in yourselves. Learn to think critically. Learn to read and write well. Learn to speak the standard English. That doesn’t mean that you should abandon other ways of expressing yourself. The more ways you can communicate with others, the better. Learn to communicate effectively with others. Learn how to solve problems. The world is in desperate need of your solutions. Perhaps one of you will come up with a solution to global warming. Learn to make good decisions, like the decision you made to be here today. Every time you make the right decision, you strenghten your family, your community, your country, your world.
I would like to end by sharing with you something that I tell my children all the time. I have two children. One was born around Christmas time. The other one was born around Easter time. I teach them this important lesson during the two holidays : I teach them that the holidays are not only about Christ. I teach them that the holidays are about them. And I do this by telling them this simple statement: Every time a child is born hope is rekindled in the world. Chak fwa yon timoun fèt, gen plis espwa sou latè a.
I believe that of my children. I believe that of you. You are the hope of your family. I would love to see all of you learn as much as there is to learn. Educate yourselves, make plans for your future. Invest in yourselves.
Also, connect with others who can help you reach your goals. You know this school is named after Thomas Edison who invented the light bulb. But Edison did not work alone. He worked with others who helped him achieve his goal. One of his most famous partners was an African American inventor named Lewis Latimer who invented the filament within the light bulb. Edison believed in humanity. He did not let skin color, or nationality, or langauge keep him from reaching out to others. He knew what we in Haiti have always known . that we all are of one race – the human race . All people of the earth have the same African ancestors. We are all equal.
So we shouldn’t allow artificial barriers to separate us. Nobody achieves alone in this world We all need the help of others. But the first step has to come from you. And as we all know, Edison students have already taken that first step. You have shown us that you value education and that you want to succeed. We are proud of you, and we will be here to support you every step of the way. And we look forward to seeing the contributions that you will make to creating a better society for all of us.
Thank you.
Yvrose S. Gilles