Tell Them We Are Rising
A Memoir of Faith in Education
-
- $26.99
-
- $26.99
Publisher Description
"The inspiring story of how one woman gave back."--Ed Bradley
"This is a heartwarming story about struggle, survival, and achieve ment. If we didn't know people like this in our lives, we would want to invent them. What more could one ask? A good story told with a deft hand."--William H. Gray III President, United Negro College Fund
"An inspiring account of an African American educator determined to make a difference in the lives of indifferent students."--Kirkus Reviews
"Tell Them We Are Rising is a wonderful, inspiring story of service, commitment, generosity, love, and hope. It is written with the humor, wisdom, and grace of a bygone era, yet spiced with the ultramodern savvy and the future-oriented vision of a twenty-year-old. What an extraordinary woman! What an extraordinary life!"--Chaka Fattah, U.S. Representative (Pennsylvania)
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In 1988, Hayre, a retired educator and school administrator, told an audience of parents and teachers at a graduation ceremony at an elementary school in inner-city Philadelphia that she would cover the tuition of every child in the class who graduated from high school and was accepted at an accredited college. She called her program "Tell Them We Are Rising"--a quote from one of her ancestors--and called the children her Risers. The book, coauthored with Moore, a member of the editorial board of the Philadelphia Inquirer, is divided into two parts: the story of Hayre's life and career in education and an account of the Risers program. Though her life story is inspiring, it would have profited from lengthier treatment; many important and interesting events are dealt with only briefly. But the second half is riveting. Hayre stayed personally involved with the Risers during their school years, setting up weekly "Risers' Club" meetings and a mentoring program. The book presents the children's individual stories and reports in a clear-eyed manner on the triumphs and failures of the program. Throughout, Hayre's personal philosophy of life and of education shows through. If at times her tone seems a bit arch, one feels she's earned the right to be blunt. Highly recommended.
