Florence Section National Council Of Negro Women Essay Winner

**The following is the winning essay written by Kennington Ryver Rogers**

The Great Civil Rights leader Malcolm X said, “Education is the passport to the future, for

Tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.” When I think about education and how I

can use it to uplift my community I get excited because the ideas are endless. I feel that a person can uplift their community without a degree of higher education; however, with advanced training and better skills it will allow me to give back in unique ways. Obtaining a college degree, I would strive to make my community a place that is safe, fair and one that a person would desire to raise a family. In our society we are living in a time when we have witnessed injustice for the people of certain ethnic races. We have recognized that there is privilege for individuals of other ethnic races. In my short years on this earth, I have seen race relations grow to heights unimaginable when our communities could put race aside and select a black man to the highest office in the land. It shows that we can judge people by the content of their character and not the color of their skin. Our community has been faced with a pandemic that has changed the way we live our lives. By obtaining a degree of higher education I feel that it would be the springboard of creating a happier, more successful society.

As a young African American male growing up primarily in a single parent household, I never wanted to be a statistic or the “status quo”. My mother tried to ensure that I was well-rounded and focused on my academics as well as athletics and community engagement. I have seen and admired her work with students as a school counselor. I want to somehow be a guiding light or beacon of strength for my future students. I want to show them that people are much more than what often appears on the surface. I just want to be there for my students and be a light in their path so that I can deliver exactly what they need.