Some Things Are Black & White

     Some things are Black and White:   Hate and prejudice corrupt.  Gun violence destroys.  Children, indeed all of us, deserve to be safe and free from the long shadow of fear.   

     Other things are Black and White as well:  The power of optimism, ambition, ingenuity, innovation, and collaboration - to state a few.  These were on full view this week. 

     The Prince and Princess of Wales came to Boston to announce the winners of the second Earthshot Prize.  Driven by what he calls “ambitious optimism,” Prince William said the challenge is “reversing the damage that has been done to our planet, and putting ourselves on a path toward a more sustainable future,” a need that he calls “undeniable.”  Black and White.

     Replace the word planet with any of the following words:  Children, families, students, teachers, educational goals, emotional well-being, communities, communication, humanity, societal values, democracy.  The statement is just as true.  The challenge is just as daunting.  Ambitious optimism is required just as urgently.      

     So, let’s begin.  Let’s stand up and call out racism, anti-Semitism, and any hate speech or act of bigotry whenever and wherever we hear it or see it.  What hurts one of us hurts all of us.  Let’s ban assault weapons of mass murder - which in no way infringes on the rights of qualified individuals to own guns to protect family, self, and home.  What hurts some of us hurts all of us.  Let’s work to resolve our disagreements with imagination, optimism, good will, and collaboration.  Black and White.

    Like the global participants in the Earthshot Prize, if we meet our challenges together, we can turn them into innovations and solutions that lead to new opportunities for our children, ourselves, and our collective future.  

     I, for one, would rather laugh than cry, love than hate, swell with optimism and pride rather than anger, and watch fear fade in the light of hope.  That is why I hope that we merge our passions and energies into a ferocious and healing urgency to save our planet and each other because it and we are precious. 

     Some things are Black and White.  Life isn’t.  It is smudged, messy, peppered with beliefs, emotions, and agendas that are good…and bad.  It is up to us to make sense of it, protect it, and make it work. Because what is absolutely Black and White is this:  Life is wonderful if we choose to make it so. 

Answer to Unpacking Education, No. 14, Question of the Day:

According to the U.S. Bureau of Statistics, approximately 6.5 million people in the United States have developmental or intellectual disabilities.  Their skills and potential are too often ignored, and per the 2021 report, the correct answer is b) 20% (approximately) have found gainful, meaningful employment.