Chapter 5: Hope for a Better Tomorrow: A Personal Narrative on the Need for Acceptance in Teacher Education Programs

Harvey Milk was the first openly gay elected public official in the United States. His words above are from his famous “Hope” speech and are as relevant today as they were in 1978. The difference between then and now is that his courage has provided a foundation for the progress we see playing out today in the public eye, such as the right for all to marry in a monumental decision by the United States Supreme Court on June 26, 2015. Hope is the catalyst to progress and fuels our fire to address and change the injustices of our society. Without hope we are lost and lose sight of what the future could be: positive and inclusive of all.