IWillRememberYouD.C.

MemorialProject:ScriptforPresentation

TimeandLocation:Americorps,2:00PM

Beforepresenting,onegroupmemberwilldistributepremadeflyerstotheaudience.

Lucas:Hello,andwelcometoourpresentation.Beforewebegin,wewouldliketothank
SandrineUweraforgivingustheopportunitytopresentourproject.Toreiterate,wearefrom
theAcademyofGlobalStudies(StephenFAustinHighSchool)inAustin,Texas.Ourprogram
focusesongloballearning,aswellasunderstandinginternationalculturesandperspectives.
Thewholepurposeofthisprojectwastounderstandthenationalandglobalsignificanceof
education,butmorespecificallyCharlotteHawkinsBrownsimpactonitandwhyshedeserves
tobememorialized.

Khunal:Wechoseeducationfromavarietyoftopicsandspecificallyindividualswhoused
educationtoovercomeadversity.OnesuchprominentfigurewasCharlotteHawkinsBrown.
BornLottieHawkins,shestartededucationatanearlyage.Shebeganakindergartenprogram
inherchurchattheyoungageof12.Heraptitudeforeducationeventuallyledtoherbeinga
speakerfortheAlstonGrammarSchoolsGraduation.Herearlylifesetherupforacareerin
education.

Grace:
HawkinsBrownbeganhercareerin1902inSedalia,NorthCarolina,duringtheheightof
theJimCrowera.Duringthistime,AfricanAmericanslivedwiththethreatofviolencegroups
liketheKluKluxKlanterrorizedtheblackcommunityinordertomaintainwhitesupremacy.
CharlotteHawkinsBrownbravedthesethreatsbecauseshebelievedinthetransformative
powerofeducation.Createdatatimewhenblackshadfeweducationalopportunities,her
schoolstrivedtoprovidequalityeducationandmoralgroundingforstudents.Shewantedher
studentstobeabletoovercometheconstrainedcircumstancesinwhichtheyfoundthemselves.

Allie:Duringhersenioryearatschool,Lottietookupbabysittingtoearnabitofextramoney,it
waswhileshewasbabysittingthatshemeetthewomanwhowouldbecomeagreatinspiration
toher.AliceFreemanPalmer,amemberoftheMassachusettsBoardofEducation,tookan
interestinHawkinsandhelpedfinanceHawkinsfurthereducation.Lateron,whenHawkins
openedherschool,shedecidedtonameitafterthewomanwhohelpedherloveofeducation
grow,thusthePalmerMemorialInstitutionwascreated.

Megan:CharlotteHawkinsBrownhasaffectedtheeducationalpossibilitiesforchildren
nationwide.Povertyacrossthenationmeansthat1in5childrenlivebelowthepovertyline.
Parentsmustlivefrompaychecktopaycheckinordertomakeendsmeetwhileworkingmany
jobsatatime.Povertyhascrucialeffectsoneducation.Familieslivinginpovertyhavelimited
resources.Theycanbarelybuyfood,andbooksarenotapriority.Childrenlivinginfamilieswith
incomesthatarebelowthepovertylinearelesslikelytobereadtoeverydaythanbythose
livingabovethepovertyline.

Lucas:SomemajoraccomplishmentsachievedbyCharlotteHawkinsBrownwerethe
establishmentoftheNOrthCarolinaFederationofNegroWomensClubs,andtheNorth
CarolinaNegroTeachersAssociation,whichnotonlyimpactedtheeducationsystemofthe
early20thcentury,butalsopastandmoderndaycommunities(bothassociationsarestill
functioninginmoderndaysociety).

Khunal:ThenationalsignificanceofCharlotteHawkinsBrownsideasandactionsisthatshe
foughtagainstproblemsthatwestillfacetoday.Agrowinggapbetweenracesandeducation
threatensoursociety.InCalifornia,18percentofhighschoolstudentsfailtograduateinfour
years.ForAfricanAmericanstudents,thedropoutrateis30percent,andforLatinostudentsthe
dropoutrateis23percent.
Thedifficultiesthatminoritiesfaceinachievingeducationarethe
exactissuesthatBrownfoughtagainst.Assuchitisextremelyimportantthatweasasociety
honorthelifeandactionsofCharlotteHawkinsBrown.

Grace:
Ineightcountries,morethan50%ofyoungpeopleaged2024yearshavefewerthan
twoyearsofschooling.Agoodeducationsystemensuresthatstudentswillremainenrolled.
However,inmanydevelopingcountries,studentseitherdon'tfinish,orstrugglethroughout,
primaryschool.Immutableaspectslikepoverty,gender,ethnicity,andlocationallleadto
educationinequality.ItwastheseissuesthatCharlotteHawkinsBrownworkedtohelpher
studentsovercome.

Megan:Povertyisaproblemthatfacescountriesworldwide.Outofthe2.2billionchildrenon
Earth,1billionliveinpoverty.Thatmeansthat1billionchildrenarelivingwithouttheirbasic
needsbecausetheycannotaffordtomeetthem.Thesefamiliesarelivingonlessthan$2.50a
day.Thereisastronglinkbetweenilliteracyandpoverty.Readingandwritingisalearnedskill
andwhenchildrengrowupinimpoverishedfamilieswheretheirparentsareilliteratetoo,itis
hardforthemtobeabletolearntheskillstobecomeliterate.Thiscreatesanongoingpoverty
trap.

Allie:OurproposedmemorialisasculptureofCharlotteHawkinsBrown,inthemomentshe
caughttheinterestofAliceFreemanPalmer.CharlottefirstmeetAlicewhilebabysitting.
Charlottewaspushingastrollerandreadingacopyof
Virgil.
Thestrikingimageofayounggirl
tendingtoasmallchildwhilststudyingmakesforaveryinterestingmemorialandalso
representsCharlotteHawkinsBrownsinterestineducationfromayoungage.