Can anyone think of someone in history who grew up in poverty but still managed to get their education?

Question

I am doing a homework assignment where the questions are based on the movie Stand and Deliver.

The question that I must answer deals with a quote from the movie where the vice princapal stated that depending on your econmic status depends on your intellegence. I have to prove that if you are poor doesnt mean that you are stupid. And name two people in history who are good examples to make valid argument

Below is what I have so far

I completely disagree with the statement that was made by the female vice principal during the faculty meeting. Basically, she was implying that a student’s intelligence is based on the economic status of the community they live in. Breaking it down to even more into simpler terms, she was saying if you are poor then you are considered stupid. This statement is incorrect because there are many people in the world today who have been raised in poverty but still managed to have a good head on their shoulders.

Answer 1

These are the true stories of two boys, one boy is white, the second boy is black.

The white boy is raised in suburban Chicago by parents who read widely and involve themselves in school reform. His father, who has a decent manufacturing job, often takes the boy on nature hikes. His mother is a housewife who will eventually go back to college and earn a bachelor's degree in education. The boy is happy and performs very well in school. His teachers think he may be a bona fide mathematical genius. His parents are encouraging and are terribly proud when he skips a grade. He has a younger brother who is also very intelligent. The family even holds literary salons in their home.

The black boy is born in Daytona Beach, FL, and his mother abandons him at the age of two. His father had a good job in sales, but is a heavy drinker. He often beats the little boy with the metal end of a garden hose. One night when the boy is 11, he is decorating a tabletop Christmas tree - the first one he has ever had - when his father starts beating up a lady friend in the kitchen. He hits her so hard that some teeth fly out of her mouth and land at the base of the boy's Christmas tree, but the boy knows better than to speak up. At school he makes no effort whatsoever. Before long he is carrying a gun and mugging suburbanites. He makes sure to be asleep by the time his father returns home from drinking, and to be out of the house before the father awakes. The father eventually goes to jail for sexual assault. By the age of 12, the boy is virtually fending for himself.

Which of these boys has a chance of succeeding in life?


Answer below:

Answer 2

If your VP was implying that a students intelligence is based on their socio-economic status, that is absolutely false and is more along the lines of social engineering theory, which has been out of vogue for over 100 years now. If, instead, she was saying that economic well being is linked to a good education, that is an entirely different animal and one which i would be inclined to agree with.

Anyway, my personal hero: Henry George. He went on to be influential in the field of economics, among other things. Look him up in my references and if you have the time read his book Progress and Poverty.

Answer 3

Abraham Lincoln is a great example of growing up in poverty. He was Highly intelligent and a self educated man. He taught himself Engineering, Surveying, Law, Politics just by reading books, and he grew up in a log cabin!

Answer 4

Oprah Winfery?? if thats considered history??

Answer 5

Maya Angelou, and if you need quotes, there are millions on hers all over the internet.

Answer 6

oprah

Answer 7

oprah?