KNOWLEDGE SEEKERS

My last two lectures were culminating experiences for my students to continue being knowledge seekers. The very last class with my regular students was full of tear-jerking moments. I was very sad to leave, and they all appreciated the experience with me. They saw my commitment to education, and I simultaneously saw in them a strong fervor to want a better life. I did all I could to prepare them for a better future. I heard their precious comments after the last lecture, and I heard how sincere they were as they acknowledged my presence in their lives. I will never forget them and they now have a certain level of knowledge that will help them to overcome all barriers to their existence. To hear a student say I have changed their lives forever when I do not even speak the same language is quite humbling.

During the final lecture, I spoke to an older group of students about societal issues pertaining to racism in both the USA and Brazil. Prior to the lecture, it was an honor to meet an entourage from the USA led by the Rev. Jerimiah Wright from Chicago. He has not only helped to revolutionize the mind of the current President of the USA, but he is committing his time to building and sustaining internationally recognized educational programs. Through his church organization, Rev. Wright donates money to the Steve Biko Institute and they were visiting to see how the money was being utilized. I was fortunate to be there, and I was able to explain in English that the donated money was being spent very wisely on the knowledge seekers. When people in the USA are able to share and invest their time and money with poorer communities throughout the world, these generous acts of kindness can help transform the world into something better.