Meet the Detroit URC's New Policy Specialist
~ A Personal Statement from Sherita L. Smith
Ellington is a 13 year old 8th grader who lives on the east side of Detroit. If Ellington is denied an educational opportunity, he can easily - and most likely will - be denied every other type of opportunity. A lack of education will effectively shut him out of the economic mainstream and relegate him and his offspring to generational poverty and a greater risk for poor health. Ellington is my oldest son. There is no way I could sit idly by and allow such a fate to him and my grandchildren. I feel the same passion and burden that I have for my son’s future success for all the children in this city. It is not good enough that a few of our youth beat the odds and overcome the insurmountable to achieve the “dream” of a middle class lifestyle or good quality of life. Dr. King once said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” which is why we must all see to it that the cycle of academic failure and under-achievement end now for all Detroiters.
There is a proverb that says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” As parents and leaders in this city, we cannot afford to abdicate our responsibility to policy makers only, perhaps thinking that they know more or better than we do and will make the best decisions in the interest of our children. We have to take responsibility for our neighbors, ourselves and our future to ensure all our children have access to a quality education. We must understand the issues and be prepared to work with others who are committed to providing our children with the opportunity to learn and to achieve great things.
This is why I became the Policy Specialist for the Detroit Urban Research Center – to ensure that parents and students are informed and empowered to participate as equitable partners in school systems change. We are committed to working collaboratively with community, school and other institutional partners towards this end. It is time for real, lasting, sustainable change in education. Let’s work together to make it happen.
For transformation,
Sherita L. Smith