9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So when I was a little girl, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 a book sat on the coffee table[br]in our living room, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 just steps from our front door. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And the living room is a first impression. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Ours had white carpet 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and a curio of my mother's[br]most treasured collectibles. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 That room represented the sacrifices[br]of generations gone by 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 who, by poverty or by policy, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 couldn't afford a curio of collectibles, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 let alone a middle class house[br]to put them in. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 That room had to stay perfect. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But I would miss messing up[br]that perfect room every day 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 just to see that book. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 On the cover sat a woman[br]named Septima Clark. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 She sat in perfect profile[br]with her face raised to the sky. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 She had perfect salt-and-pepper cornrows 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 platted down the sides of her head, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and pride and wisdom just emanated[br]from her dark skin. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Septima Clark was an activist[br]and an educator, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 a woman after whom I would eventually[br]model my own career, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but more than all the words[br]she ever spoke, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that single portrait of Septima Clark, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 it defined confidence for me 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 before I ever even knew the word. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It may sound simple, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but confidence is something[br]that we underestimate the importance of. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We treat it like a nice-to-have[br]instead of a must-have. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We place value on knowledge and resources 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 above what we deem to be[br]the soft skill of confidence. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But by most measures,[br]we have more knowledge 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and more resources now[br]than at any other point in history, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and still injustice abounds[br]and challenges persist. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 If knowledge and resources[br]were all that we needed, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 we wouldn't still be here. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Now, I believe that confidence[br]is one of the main things 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 missing from the equation. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I'm completely obsessed with confidence. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It's been the most important[br]journey of my life, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 a journey that to be honest I'm still on. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Confidence is the necessary spark[br]before everything that follows. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Confidence is the difference[br]between being inspired 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and actually getting started, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 between trying and doing until it's done. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Confidence helps us keep going[br]even when we fail. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The name of the book on that coffee table[br]was "I Dream A World," 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and today I dream a world[br]where revolutionary confidence 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 helps bring about our most[br]ambitious dreams into reality. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 That's exactly the kind of world[br]that I wanted to create in my classroom 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 when I was a teacher, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 like a Willy Wonka world[br]of pure imagination, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but make it scholarly. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 All of my students were black or brown. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 All of them were growing up[br]in a low-income circumstance. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Some of them were immigrants,[br]some of them were disabled, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but all of them were the very last people 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 this world invites to be confident. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 That's why it was so important[br]that my classroom be a place 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 where my students could build[br]the muscle of confidence, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 where they could learn to face each day[br]with the confidence you need 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to redesign the world in the image[br]of your own dreams. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 After all, what are academic skills[br]without the confidence to use those skills 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to go out and change the world. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Now is when I should tell you about[br]two of my students, Jamal and Regina. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Now, I've changed their names,[br]but their stories remain the same. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Jamal was brilliant, but unfocused. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 He would squirm in his chair[br]during independent work 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and he would never stay still[br]for more than three or four minutes. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Students like Jamal[br]can perplex brand new teachers 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 because they're not quite sure[br]how to support young people like him. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I took a direct approach. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I negotiated with Jamal. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 If he could give me focused work, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 then he could do it[br]from anywhere in the classroom, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 from our classroom rug,[br]from behind my desk, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 from inside his classroom locker,[br]which turned out to be his favorite place. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Jamal's least favorite[br]subject was writing, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and he never wanted to read[br]what he had written out loud in class, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but we were still making progress. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 One day, I decided to host[br]a mock 2008 presidential election 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 in my classroom. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 My third graders had to research[br]and write a stump speech 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 for their chosen candidate: 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton,[br]or John McCain. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The heavy favorites were obvious, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but one student chose John McCain. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It was Jamal. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Jamal finally decided to read something[br]that he had written out loud in class, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and sure enough, Jamal stunned[br]all of us with his brilliance. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Just like Jamal's dad,[br]John McCain was a veteran, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and just like Jamal's dad protected him, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Jamal believed that John McCain[br]would protect the entire country. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And he wasn't my candidate of choice,[br]but it didn't matter, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 because the entire class[br]erupted into applause, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 a standing ovation[br]for our brave friend Jamal 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 who finally showed up[br]as his most confident self 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 for the first time that year. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And then there was Regina. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Regina was equally[br]as brilliant, but active. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 She'd inevitably finish her work early, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and then she'd get on about the business[br]of distracting other students: 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 walking, talking, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 passing those notes[br]that teachers hate but kids love. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 You look like you passed a lot of them. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Despite my high ideals for our classroom, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I would too often default[br]to my baser instincts, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and I would choose[br]compliance over confidence. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Regina was a glitch in my intended system. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 A good teacher can correct misbehavior 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but still remain a student's champion, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but on one day in particular, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I just plain old chose control. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I snapped, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and my approach[br]didn't communicate to Regina 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that she was being a distraction. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 My approach communicated to Regina[br]that she herself was a distraction. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I watched the light go out from her eyes, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and that light sparked joy[br]in our classroom. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I had just extinguished it. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The entire class became irritable, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and we didn't recover[br]for the rest of the day. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I think about the day often, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and I have literally prayed 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that I did not do irreparable harm,[br]because as a woman 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 who used to be[br]a little girl just like Regina, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I know that I could have started[br]the process of killing her confidence 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 forever. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 A lack of confidence pulls us[br]down from the bottom 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and weighs us down from the top, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 crushing us between a flurry[br]of can'ts, won'ts, and impossibles. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Without confidence, we get stuck, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and when we get stuck,[br]we can't even get started. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Instead of getting mired[br]in what can get in our way, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 confidence invites us[br]to perform with certainty. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We all operate a little differently[br]when we're sure we can win 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 versus if we just hope we will. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Now, this can be a helpful check. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 If you don't have enough confidence, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 it could be because you need[br]to readjust your goal. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 If you have too much confidence, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 it could be because[br]you're not rooted in something real. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Not everyone lacks confidence. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We make it easier in this society 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 for some people to gain confidence 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 because they fit our preferred[br]archetype of leadership. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We reward confidence in some people 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and we punish confidence in others, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and all the while far too many people 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 are walking around[br]every single day without it. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 For some of us, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 confidence is a revolutionary choice, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and it would be our greatest shame 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to see our best ideas go unrealized 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and our brightest dreams go unreached 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 all because we lacked[br]the engine of confidence. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 That's not a risk I'm willing to take. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So how do we crack the code on confidence? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 In my estimation,[br]it takes at least three things: 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 permission, community, and curiosity. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Permission births confidence, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 community nurtures it, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and curiosity affirms it. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 In education, we've got a saying, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that you can't be what you can't see. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 When I was a little girl,[br]I couldn't show confidence 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 until someone showed me. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 My family used to do everything together, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 including the mundane things,[br]like buying a new car, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and every time we did this, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I'd watch my parents[br]put on the exact same performance. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We'd enter the dealership, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and my dad would sit 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 while my mom shopped. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 When my mom found a car that she liked, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 they'd go in and meet with the dealer, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and inevitably, every time[br]the dealer would turn his attention 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and his body to my dad, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 assuming that he[br]controlled the purse strings 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and therefore this negotiation. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 "Rev. Packnett," they'd say,[br]"how do we get you into this car today?" 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 My dad would inevitably[br]respond the same way. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 He'd slowly and silently[br]gesture toward my mother 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and then put his hands[br]right back in his lap. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It might have been the complete shock 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 of negotiating finances[br]with a black woman in the '80s, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but whatever it was, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I'd watch my mother[br]work these car dealers over 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 until they were basically[br]giving the car away for free. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (Laughter) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 She would never crack a smile. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 She would never be afraid to walk away. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I know my mom just thought[br]she was getting a good deal on a minivan, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but what she was actually doing[br]was giving me permission 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to defy expectations 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and to show up confidently in my skill[br]no matter who doubts me. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Confidence needs permission to exist, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and community is the safety place[br]to try confidence on. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I traveled to Kenya this year[br]to learn about women's empowerment 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 among Masai women. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 There I met a group of young women 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 called Team Lioness, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 among Kenya's first all-female[br]community ranger groups. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 These eight brave young women[br]were making history 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 in just their teenage years, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and I asked Purity, the most verbose[br]young ranger among them, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 "Do you ever get scared?" 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I swear to you, I want to tattoo[br]her response all over my entire body. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 She said, "Of course I do, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but I call on my sisters. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 They remind me that we[br]will be better than these men 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and that we will not fail." 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Purity's confidence to chase down[br]lions and catch poachers, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 it didn't come from her athletic ability[br]or even just her faith. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Her confidence was[br]propped up by sisterhood, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 by community. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 What she was basically saying 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 was that if I am ever in doubt, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I need you to be there 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to restore my hope 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and to rebuild my certainty.