5/3/05 -- To avoid following in the footsteps of Egypt and Rome, which fell into decline after dominating the world, America must teach its youth to value intellectual and artistic pursuits, Ben Carson told the audience at the April 18 General Session.
Society needs to bestow the same rewards for academic excellence as “shooting a 25-foot jump shot,” says Carson, director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore and author of Gifted Hands: From Inner City Kid to Renowned Neurosurgeon.
The son of an illiterate mother and a bigamist father, Carson rose from the slums of Detroit and Boston to make medical history in the first successful operation to separate conjoined twins who were joined at the head. He led a 70-member team in a 22-hour operation in 1997. The twins thrived and are now in third grade.
Carson gives credit to his mother, who worked three jobs and tolerated no excuses from her sons. When Carson and his brother were in elementary school, their mother required them to read two library books every week and submit book reports. She would mark up the reports, even though she only had a third-grade education and couldn’t read.
By the time he was in high school, other kids were calling Carson a “nerd” and “Uncle Tom.” Although much has changed in education since then, peer pressure remains a hindrance to many students, Carson says. For too many, he jokes, “peers” could be an acronym for “people who encourage errors, rudeness, and stupidity.”
School boards should find ways to give prestige to achievers, Carson says.
Carson and his wife sponsor a scholarship program in 11 states and the District of Columbia that puts $1,000 in a college fund for secondary students who demonstrate academic excellence and good citizenship. Winners are feted at a banquet and receive trophies, just like athletic stars. Students can apply each year, so consistent winners can build up a college fund.
Young black males, in particular, need to be exposed to role models with whom they can identify, Carson says. This can start with simple history lessons that recognize overlooked black inventors, such as Madame C.J. Walker, who developed hair care products for black women and was the first self-made American woman to become a millionaire.
Children of all races and backgrounds need to be aware of our shared past and our collective future as a nation of immigrants, Carson says. “Although all of our ancestors came off different boats, we’re all in the same boat now.”