▁hard ▁to ▁receive ▁a ▁good ▁education . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 2 , ▁nin ety ▁six ▁percent ▁of ▁Har lem ' s ▁students ▁were ▁African ▁American . ▁Due ▁to ▁the ▁ra cial ▁issues ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁there ▁were ▁very ▁few ▁teachers ▁who ▁were ▁willing ▁to ▁teach ▁and ▁provide ▁the ▁students ▁with ▁sufficient ▁enough ▁education . ▁According ▁to ▁test ▁scores , ▁by ▁the ▁end ▁junior ▁high ▁level ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁students ▁were ▁more ▁than ▁two ▁and ▁a ▁half ▁years ▁behind ▁the ▁average ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁student . ▁H ale ▁recognized ▁the ▁importance ▁that ▁an ▁education ▁provided ▁and ▁also ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁an ▁opportunity ▁to ▁receive ▁one . ▁ ▁H ale ▁also ▁put ▁a ▁great ▁deal ▁of ▁value ▁into ▁her ▁religious ▁up br ing ing . ▁She ▁was ▁raised ▁as ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁Bapt ist ▁church . ▁It ▁can ▁also ▁be ▁suggested ▁that ▁her ▁faith ▁in ▁God ▁and ▁strong ▁moral ▁up br ing ing ▁had ▁a ▁lot ▁to ▁do ▁with ▁the ▁behavior ▁that ▁she ▁displayed ▁throughout ▁her ▁life . ▁It ▁was ▁stated ▁by ▁H ale ▁herself ▁that ▁through ▁her ▁child hood ▁she ▁faced ▁many ▁hard ▁times ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁due ▁to ▁her ▁Christian ▁up br ing ing ▁that ▁she ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁succeed . ▁One ▁major ▁accomplish ment ▁in ▁H ale ' s ▁life ▁was ▁being ▁the ▁first ▁in ▁her ▁family ▁to ▁gradu ate ▁from ▁high ▁school . ▁This ▁was ▁not ▁seen ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁regular ▁occurrence ▁during ▁her ▁time ▁period ▁but ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁mor als ▁and ▁eth ics ▁that ▁H ale