Dr. Edwidge Crevecoeur Bryant, a renowned scholar and speaker, and Professor at University of North Florida, will deliver the keynote address. She is a proud Haitian-American whose brilliance, public speaking and charisma commend the reverence and high regard of all. A leading proponent for advancing higher education in the state, she will argue the need for a significant community effort to help our students through college. Professor Bryant is a role model for our entire community. We are fortunate to also have The Honorable Paul Novack, Attorney at Law, former Mayor of the Town of Surfside and Member of the Florida State Oversight Board for the Miami-Dade County Public School District, to speak on higher education being a vital investment in the future.
Draws on qualitative data exploring the experiences of first-generation middle-class Black Caribbean-heritage parents, their own parents, and their children. Focuses on the different ways in which race and class intersect in shaping attitudes towards education and subsequent educational practices.
One basic but tremendously important strategy is becoming and staying involved in our daughters' education. Our girls need to be told and reminded that all professions are open to them and that they must begin from an early age to prepare for these professions. Historically, girls do not take as many math and science courses as boys do, yet many top-paying professions require these subjects. Let your daughters know that math, chemistry, physics, etc., are not boy' exclusive domain but that girls have the aptitude to do just as well in these areas. These are women whose lives speak eloquently of courage, determination and achievement. Contemporary women also provide striking examples of qualities our own daughters can emulate. Within our churches, schools and communities are countless women with stories worth sharing.
