Hope isn’t always easy—it’s a choice made in the face of fear, uncertainty, and adversity. In this deeply personal TED Talk, SC State Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver explores what it means to hold onto hope when the world gives every reason to let go. Through powerful storytelling and lived experience, Superintendent Weaver reveals how hope can become a guiding force during life’s most challenging moments, and how choosing to believe in a better future can transform lives—not just our own, but the lives of those around us. The Courage to Hope is a testament to resilience, faith, and the quiet strength it takes to dream anyway. Honorable Ellen Weaver was elected as South Carolina's 19th State Superintendent of Education on November 9th, 2022. Born in Greenville, Ellen has spent her career as a passionate advocate for educational excellence and opportunity for every student in her beloved home state.
Superintendent Weaver graduated with a B.A. in Political Science and a Master's in Educational Leadership, from Bob Jones University. After graduation, she worked in Senator Jim DeMint's office for 12 years in a variety of roles, finishing her time as his State Director. She founded Palmetto Promise Institute, a leading state public policy organization, in 2013.
Superintendent Weaver is focused on prioritizing the instruction of foundational skills, recruiting and retaining the best educators, and partnering with parents — as well as business and other community leaders — to prepare students for their personal path to success. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
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- 18:40Black is A Spectrum | Osei Kweku | TEDxCollierHeightsWhat does it mean to be Black? In this powerful TED Talk, the speaker unpacks the richness, complexity, and expansiveness of Black identity. Black is a Spectrum challenges monolithic narratives and embraces the diverse experiences, cultures, histories, and expressions that exist within the global Black community. Through personal stories, cultural insights, and social critique, the talk explores how Blackness is shaped by geography, language, class, gender, and legacy—offering a vision of identity that is fluid, multidimensional, and deeply human. This is an invitation to reimagine Blackness not as a box, but as a boundless spectrum. Osei Kweku, a first-generation immigrant in North America. As a multi-faceted international businessman that grew up in Kitchener, Ontario and Middle America. As a graduate of Hampton University, Osei began to make his mark in the Broadcast Media industry in Washington, DC. As an on-air personality with a distinctive voice, his talents were sought after in markets on the eastern corridor of the United States including such cities as Philadelphia, Baltimore, Hampton/Norfolk, Virginia, and Atlanta. While promoting brands on the air, this forged the symbiotic relationship between marketing, branding, and international business. Now a public figure in media with over twenty years in covering and analyzing politics and entertainment news, to include years of working in public radio. His greatest strength is his knowledge of marketing international creative culture. Proceeds of DSI goes towards the redevelopment and redesign of Osei’s family hospital in Kumasi, Ghana. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
