Brilliance and Resilience

Earlier today I added a handful of book titles to the page. I strongly recommend everything on there but tonight, I wanted to highlight one book in particular. More than any other, this book has had a huge influence on me as a teacher of gifted children. Ironically, it is one of the few books listed that is not specifically written for parents or educators of gifted children.

The book I'm referring to is Miles Corwin's And Still We Rise. Corwin is an investigative journalist who immersed himself into the lives of teachers and students at the gifted magnet high school in LA's Crenshaw area. Although it reads like a novel, the stories and characters are real. The students, twelve highly intelligent African-American teenagers from one of the city's poorest and toughest neighborhoods, struggle to overcome the barriers in their lives, focus on education, and get to college.

It is a story of profound persistence and resilience. Unlike many other similar stories, it is not about the teacher; it is about the kids. No Edward James Olmos, Hilary Swank, or Michelle Pfeiffer riding in on their white horses turning non-motivated, non-believing students into successes. No judgment here... like millions of others, I enjoyed all of those movies. And, the real teachers who inspired them are in my mind true heroes. The difference in Corwin's book, however, is that the students are the focus of the story. The teachers in the book are realistic and, quite frankly, secondary. They run the gamut from petty and punitive to warm-hearted and inspirational. They certainly have influence but they are only a part of the equation. A far bigger factor is the internal conviction and determination each student possesses.

Another fascinating section of the book is Corwin's discussion of Affirmative Action. Whether you are a proponent or opponent, it is a compelling argument worthy of a read no matter where you sit on that fence. Ultimately though, what makes this book so beautiful is its portrayal of these disadvantaged, troubled, frustrated, yet brilliant, resilient, and hopeful adolescents. As you follow along on their journeys rooting for them, it remains impossible to predict who will rise and who will fall.

Several years after reading the book, I learned the gifted magnet high school in Crenshaw no longer exists. One of the teachers who Corwin shadows in the book, Toni Little, has since become a colleague and friend. She continues to work as a high school teacher in an area with many low income families. She and I talk often on how important it is for school to be a place for critical and creative thinking and problem solving. Those skills empower students and strengthen their inner resolve. I truly hope you will give this book a try. If you do, let me know what you think!