Growing up in a large housing project in Connecticut, Jahana Hayes said she never wanted pity, just a fair chance.
Hayes, now the National Teacher of the Year, said communities should be working to ensure all children, especially those like her, are provided with opportunity.
“We have to all use our time, our talents and our energy to build bridges and not gates,” she said.
Hayes was the keynote speaker Friday at the Urban League of Greater Chattanooga’s 34th annual Equal Opportunity Day Breakfast at the Chattanooga Convention Center. The theme of the morning was equity in education, and Hayes praised the work the community is doing through Chattanooga 2.0 to provide all students with a quality education and opportunity.
“We all have a responsibility – no, that word is not strong enough. We all have an obligation to make the future and this world better for our babies,” Hayes said.