Knowledge is Information with the Power to Effect Change
Did you know an 80-year-old woman makes history as a university’s oldest graduate? Here’s the full article from Good Morning America.
The amazing thing about this life is that, in many situations, people will choose the way in which their life will go. We all have “free will choice” whether we believe it to be true or a religious element, we can’t fight fact with opinion. I was inspired by this story, and I want to share this curation with my mom. I want to show not just her, but everyone who is exposed to this piece, that with the acquisition of the knowledge one cares about, one can be well-equipped to move towards effecting change — hopefully, it’s a positive change.
It is such a hard, controversial topic in regards to black people and the opportunities available to us in the United States of America. I definitely can understand that there are many lazy, unmotivated, mentally broken individuals among the black American citizens, however; that is the result of the traumatizing events in the earlier history of our country. Making it illegal to learn to read and write. The “hood” is the urban areas where the majority, if not all, of black people in America, derived from. Those communities have little to no opportunity. Education, healthcare, nutrition, etc. Yes, those of today who lacked the proper guidance and education growing up can’t even potentially begin to appreciate something they don’t know about, and sadly even, refuse to know about. So, the ones who do make it out, are blessed by the grace of God, along with the conscious effort to put their own individual work in to manifest a different reality. This demonstration is can break generational curses.
“I want to inspire young people, and even adults, to let them know that age, yes I’m 80, but I don’t know what 80 really feels like. It’s never too late. You have a dream, please finish that dream, accomplish that dream. You can do it!”
-Donzella Washington
Dr. Dawn R. Gilpin stated in The Information Society, that although we are bombarded with all kinds of news, data, facts, etc. information is not the same thing as knowledge. She further explains that “knowledge means being able to grasp and understand something, versus just being able to access the pure data.” So, the reason why this topic is so important to me is that from experience, I’ve held conversations with people who believe that not all — but many/most — black people are, what I conveyed earlier, “lazy, unmotivated, and mentally broken.” They may not use all said terms mentioned, but in an essence, that's what they meant from my contextual understanding.
The significance of people like Donzella Washington is that she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Social Work at the age of 80 in order to help people, with a focus on her community of people, to not just get thrown a bunch of information, more importantly, to help them understand information and to use it wisely to accomplish their dream.
Can you say it with me “BLACK GIRLS ROCK!”
In conclusion, I always worried about what others would think of me for expressing my First Amendment rights, now I am going to use my voice — and my soon-to-be bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication & Media Studies — to share my educated opinion. Which includes the informational facts, personal experience, and knowledge, wisdom, and understanding gained from the compilation of everything combined.
I will lay my life down in service to others who need what I needed when I was younger. Along with the many others from this generation on down needed. A fair right to acquire and receive knowledge [proper understanding] and information [facts] to bring into fruition the desired life of one’s choosing, without the prejudice disqualifications of extremists in this country that have held them back from advancement. Today that is no longer the case. If someone has to do it, those who stand up for WHAT’S RIGHT will take the initiative to do so.
No living organism has the right by another living organism to be physically or mentally harmed for any good reason. At the end of the day, from my perspective and intentionality, I am expressing my persona in a positive manner, such as curating an informative piece of content like this on how we can be better as a collective people regardless of race, to demonstrate the fruitfulness of my spirit to the world, the literal opposite of the propaganda that a lot of the media in this country blatantly and subliminally still continues to show.
Michael Jackson sang this to us many moons ago:
I’m starting with the man in the mirror
I’m asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been any clearer
If you want to make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself, and then make a change
Much gratitude world. *Mic drop…*
