“A lawyer is either a social engineer or a parasite on society. » (Eyes on the Prize, 1935) Charles Houston was an incredible lawyer and taught an entire generation of black lawyers. Although not widely known, Charles Houston played a key role in eradicating segregation in schools. Listen to me share his story. Today is April 22, 1950. I have chest pains and difficulty breathing. I know what's coming. I know I'm going to have a heart attack. My last heart attack. I just wish I had a few more weeks, maybe a month or two, to finish my case and hold my son in my arms once more. He's only five years old, but I recorded my life, my love, for him to hear, even if it won't ease all his pain. I believe that the above-mentioned case will mark a new beginning, the beginning of a real war against segregation. I just hope it's not as long and bloody as the First World War. But you don't know what I'm talking about, do you? I guess I should start at the beginning, my birth. I was born September 3, 1895 to my parents, William and Mary Hamilton Houston. My father was a lawyer. He ran a law firm catering to middle-class black people, and he was good at his job, so we were able to live in a nicer neighborhood. My mother was a teacher, but she gave up that activity to earn the top salary of a hairdresser. Mom could easily pass for a white woman, but she was so proud of her race that she wouldn't let anyone make that mistake. I was an only child my whole life. My parents only wanted the best for me, so I got into one of the best all-black high schools in the country, Mr. Street School. I worked hard and was valedictorian when I graduated. Unlike most black high schools, which were primarily vocational schools, Mr. Street School focused on completing college requirements....... middle of paper ...... being a lawyer, helping the NAACP so extensively, just to name a few. He did so much, changed so much in his life, even after his death, thanks to his teachings. Her life, her actions, only show that no matter what you face, whether it's racial prejudice or something as simple as a mean girl, you can face it and change it for the better. better. I feel like he didn't really find his true calling until I was in my twenties, and it makes me realize that I still have time to find what I'm meant to do. After learning so much about him, I'm surprised that this is the first time I've heard his story. I don't know what I plan to do with my life, so I guess I just want my legacy to be that I'm a good person and I've helped people. I want to be remembered as someone who accomplished things, or even just something. I want to be someone with a life worth living.