One God, Two Voices

Book excerpt: An inspirational, faith-based guide to raising the next generation of leaders—based on the real-life experiences of two amazing educators. Hailing from the hills of West Virginia and the ghettos of New York City, two teachers—one an older Caucasian and the other a younger African American—somehow find each other in the halls of a middle school in Hampton, VA. Becoming the best of friends, Deidre Hester and Sue Whited join together to educate their eighth-grade students in curriculum and life. One God Two Voices comes from their hearts as they speak to teachers, parents, students, and the world at-large on diverse topics, such as the racial divide (from the O.J. Simpson trial to the tragic deaths of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown), repeating history, “acting white,” and the reality of being a teacher while maintaining your integrity, sanity, and sense of humor. From the tragic shooting death of a student who had sung Boyz II Men’s version of “It’s So Hard to Say Good-bye to Yesterday” in the eighth-grade talent show to the guidelines for setting a model of leadership in the classroom, One God Two Voices weaves together the authors’ unique and personal teaching experiences to create an inspirational tapestry of faith and education. In this updated version of their 2004 title For Such A Time As This . . . We Are But Small Voices, Hester and Whited make a difference for today—and the future.