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

i belive bill clinton was poor

Answer 2

Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr, Benjamin Franklin

Answer 3

Your little icon of you shows an "african american" character. If in fact you are, you should know of 1 major important person that grew up in slavery "which I consider that to be poverty", educated himself to read and write, and "became" one of the most intelligent, and insightful men in America. That man is Frederick Douglass. I think this guy can provide you the answers you are looking for. Another similar character to Frederick is Booker T. Washington. So now you can not only show that the economic status of a person is not equivalent to their intelligence........but also, race is of no concern either. Hope this helps.

Answer 4

I saw a movie on TV last week, unfortunately I don't recall the name of the girl. I think it was on lifetime network, but as I recall, the move was called "Homeless to Harvard". The story was about a girl who the first part of her life lived in very despicable conditions before ending up w/o family and alone on the street. She eventually earned her HS diploma and eventually won a NY Times scholarship and admission to Harvard. My understanding is that this was based on a true story. Very inspiring.

Answer 5

Oprah Winfrey

Bill Clinton

Answer 6

Frederick Douglas

Answer 7

Sir William Gull.

Answer 8

James Brown (recent history, but will be lasting).

George Washington Carver.

Answer 9

Oprah, Abraham Lincoln are two I can think of off the top of my head. Good Luck on your paper.

Answer 10

Does Oprah count ?

Answer 11

abraham lincoln, martin luther king jr