This month the seventh-graders and I wondered about how to deal when people tell us no. In U.S. history, many groups are marginalized and told no over and over. Oddly, it happens so much during childhood that kids get used to being told no. They may believe that they cannot accomplish their dreams.
So we looked to Bessie Coleman for help. Nearly 100 years ago Coleman, an African American, dreamt of flying airplanes. Women then were not allowed to fly airplanes. In fact, African American women were not allowed decent schooling, jobs that paid well, or even basic respect.
In spite of these struggles, Bessie Coleman decided she was going to fly even though she had heard no so many times. Coleman searched everywhere for a school that would accept her and found her only option was in France. She learned French and saved money. Finally, Coleman crossed the ocean and learned to fly. And fly she did.
Coleman inspires my students to never give up. When people told her no, Coleman searched for a different route to accomplish her dream. When there was an obstacle, she found her way through.
We cannot always accept it when people tell us no. If our dream is important enough, we have to persevere. Each day we must work a little bit more, reach a bit higher and hope that the dreamgets a bit closer before someone tells us no again.
Bessie Coleman, the dreamer, teaches us to not always accept no for an answer. If the dream is important, we must find our way past our own obstacles so that we too can fly like Bessie.
I'm Elsa Glover, and that's my perspective.
