On Friday, March 7th, insightful educator, author, and social justice activist, Kevin Jennings, visited Pine Crest upper school students to discuss his personal experiences with inequality, while emphasizing the requisite for moral courage.  Jennings, a Harvard graduate with a degree in history, is a Ft. Lauderdale native .  He was named one of fifty “Terrific Teachers Making a Difference” by the Edward Calesa Foundation and received National Education Association (NEA)‘s Virginia Uribe Award for Creative Leadership in Human Rights.  His professional involvement ranges anywhere from his role as Assistant Deputy Secretary at the U.S. Department of Education to his unwavering commitment and passion for the Gay-Straight Alliance.

From the moment Jennings took the floor, he captivated the audience by addressing changes in our country’s history that transformed his own eloquent yet disturbing personal life.   On May 2nd, 1963, African American students from Birmingham, Alabama united to protest segregation.  This demonstration triggered Martin Luther King’s March on Washington, which ultimately led to President Kennedy’s endorsement of the Civil Rights Act.  Jennings accentuated that it only took a group students to change the world forever, simply by standing up against injustice.  He reinforced this message with a quote by artist Andy Warhol, “They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.”

Jennings enthralled the audience with an anecdote of his brother, a U.S. Marine who fell in love with an African American woman in Vietnam.  Unfortunately, his brother could not take the woman back home to North Carolina, as his uncle, a leader of the KKK, threatened to burn his house down.  Not a single family member attended the couple’s wedding, and his grandparents disowned his brother.  The couple later had a son, who ultimately fell in love with a white woman.  The tides were evidently turned when the entire Jennings family attended his nephew’s wedding.  Incidentally, when Jennings explained the hardships his brother had to endure to his nephew, the look of utter disbelief on his nephew was all that Jennings needed to signify the progression of racial justice.

Undoubtedly, intolerance goes far beyond skin color.  In the past, scientific conventions were held to discuss if homosexuality was a mental illness.  Even in modern times, homosexuals often hide their sexual affinity for fear of ridicule and disapproval. On a personal note, Jenning’s Uncle Mickey was unable to cope with the pressure and loneliness of being gay, and in turn, drank himself to death in 1969.  Sometimes, all you need is a spark.  In high school, Jennings founded the Gay-Straight Alliance, which now resides in over 6,000 schools across the U.S.  Since then, Jennings boldly states, “Things have changed, but they have not changed enough.”

Years ago, Jenning’s mother experienced a great deal of difficulty accepting change, as she did not speak to Jenning’s brother for three years after marrying an African American woman.  Even further, when Jennings shared his sexuality preference with his mother, she did not speak to him for two years.  It was almost as if Mrs. Jennings received a wake up call from Bob Dylan himself, “Your old road is rapidly agin’, please get out of the new one if you can’t lend your hand for the times they are a-changin’.”

Although Jennings knew of his mother’s recent passion for her volunteer work at Holly Haven Aids Hospice, he did not realize the extent to which she was lending a hand.  After visiting his mother at work one day, Jennings received an extraordinary awakening to see his mother  kissing and caring for all different types of people.  Jennings proceeded to tell the story of Andre, a disowned, gay, African American man who developed throat cancer and had no health insurance.   Andre was taken to the hospital and given food intravenously.  When it was obvious that Andre did not want the special treatment required, Mrs. Jennings tried to ask the doctor to stop.  After the doctor scorned Mrs. Jennings, the frail, elderly woman single handedly lifted Andre up out of his bed, placed him in a wheelchair, and held his hand for 18 hours straight until he passed away.

Jennings shared his learnings from this experience:  “When people tell you things cannot change and when people tell you the world is the way it is, and there is nothing you can do about it, think about a Southern Baptist woman holding the hand of a gay, African American politician as he passes from one world to the next.  The people who tell you you cannot change the world are lying to you.”

He concluded his presentation with a quote by Mary Oliver, saying, “Tell me, what is it you are going to do with your one wild and precious life?'”  Jennings exclaimed how inequality and injustice are still pervasive.  We, as individuals, have the choice of whether we want to accept this, or use our power to create a fair and equitable place to live.

Jennings received a standing ovation.  Immediately after the floor was opened for questions, students’ hands shot up left and right.  To begin, Jennings was asked how long it took him to feel accepted as a gay man in a an unjust society.  He replied with a disconcerting response, admitting that after decades he is still not 100%.  While comfortable with who he is, he is not comfortable in the world.

The most noteworthy question regarded his views on the relationship between homosexuality and religion.  His response was both thought-provoking and dynamic, stating, “Religious freedom does not directly translate into discrimination.  If you say you are living by the bible be very careful.” He then proceeded to ask students to stand up if they answered “yes” to any particular question.  The questions seemed to have no rhyme or rhythm- “Stand up if you ate shellfish last night.  Stand up if you are wearing clothing that is polyester or any other other fabric blend.”  Once the entire audience was standing out of their seats, he explained that to live by the Bible would mean to kill everyone standing in the ICI.  Although each person has the right to their own beliefs, he believes that if Jesus was alive today, he would support homosexuality.

Kevin Jennings is an incredibly intelligent and remarkable human being, forever leaving a mark on the Pine Crest community through his teachings and life lessons.