Lecture Notes: The Importance of Confidence

Introduction

• Speaker reflects on childhood memory of a book in the living room.
• Room as a symbol of generational sacrifice.
• Book featured Septima Clark, whose image inspired the speaker's understanding of confidence.

Key Theme: Confidence

• Confidence is often underestimated.
• Treated as a "nice-to-have" rather than essential.
• Despite historical advances in knowledge and resources, societal issues persist.
• Confidence is the missing element in addressing these challenges.

Speaker's Personal Journey

• Obsession with and ongoing journey toward confidence.
• Confidence as the spark that initiates action and perseverance.

Vision for Education

• "I Dream A World" book inspired the speaker's educational vision.
• Speaker's classroom aimed to foster revolutionary confidence.
• Students were predominantly Black, Brown, low-income, some immigrants or disabled.
• Classroom as a space for building confidence to change the world.

Student Examples

• Jamal: Brilliant but unfocused. Used negotiation to engage him. Highlighted his confidence during a mock election.
• Regina: Brilliant but a distraction. Speaker's regret over choosing control over fostering confidence.

Confidence & Its Challenges

• Lack of confidence leads to being stuck.
• Society rewards certain archetypes, punishes others.
• For some, confidence is a revolutionary choice.
• Importance of confidence to realize ideas and dreams.

Building Confidence

• How to crack the code of confidence:
  • Permission: Grants the ability to be confident.
  • Community: Nurtures and supports confidence.
  • Curiosity: Confirms and affirms confidence.
• Personal anecdotes:
  • Mother's car dealership negotiations taught the speaker about confidence.
  • Maasai women in Kenya (Team Lioness) rely on community for confidence.
  • Mentor's curiosity helped the speaker learn from failures.

Conclusion

• Confidence is key to solving great challenges and achieving dreams.
• A world where confidence is welcomed in all forms will lead to freedom and justice.
• Call to action: Believe in the power of confidence to unlock a better future.

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• Thank you message and applause.