Change through Courage

 My take on "Stolen Education", and the importance of how it has effected our society today. 

In March of this year as a graduate assistant for the Office of Diversity & Inclusion at Tarleton State I was given the task to plan a culture excursion for the multicultural ambassadors, a group of students who value diversity and represent equality and inclusion in all forms and fashion. In searching for activities and events I came across a documentary screening on systematic discrimination in Texas schools. The documentary was called "Stolen Education", and it was going to be shown at the Institute of Texan Cultures on one of the days we would be in San Antonio, TX. The name itself spiked a lot of curiosity and I knew it was an event we had to attend.  "Stolen Education" documents the untold story of Mexican-American children who challenged discrimination in Texas in the 1950s. Hernandez vs. al. Driscoll Consolidated Independent School District, is one of the first post Brown desegregation court cases to be litigated or filed.

This year we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act in July 1964. It was discrimination case like this one that led to the major civil rights movement of the 1960s. “Stolen Education” depicts a story of a fight for equality and change. It is a story of the untold truth not found or discussed in many books that directly effects many in our community today. I cannot begin to stress how important our history is and the role it continues to play in our daily lives and decisions. It is in our history that allows us to see the struggles and triumphs of our ancestors. It is in understanding the past that we are better capable of understanding our present state and make better decisions for the future. It is in our history that we begin to value what we are fortunate to have because of those that lead the way and created change through courage.

 Till this day this documentary has been one of the most inspiring to me. Not only because of the courage demonstrated but because of how unaware I was of this vital part of history for many Hispanics. This documentary clearly addresses  discrimination that the Hispanic community went through which in return has caused a lost for the beautiful Spanish language in many families and a culture that is trying to be revived in our society. This discrimination has now turned into discrimination within our own Hispanic community. Where the new generation of Hispanics now suffer discrimination for looking Hispanic and having a Hispanic name and not knowing the language. No one truly knows the consequences of our actions. Those children that went through that difficult time in society had good intentions of protecting their children. Together as a society we shall not look at our neighbor and assume anything of them. Today, our society is so unique diversified by cultures and languages, that there is no room for hate. We should focus on Love for it does not know race, ethnicity or language, it is transparent.

~ Diana Esperanza Martinez