Universal literacy was a 20th-century goal. Before then, reading and writing were skills largely confined to a small, highly educated class of professional people.
quote by Hugh Mackay

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The Swinging Universe
reading a 13th century poet
feeling the sun circling round me
and all the inaccuracies it cast onto me
reading a 20th century poem
feeling the earth circling round the sun
and all its limitations
reading a 30th century poem
feeling the whole universe circling round us
and the privilege to play with its power
reading a 40th century poem
feeling the privilege to swing the
whole universe around us
poem by John Tiong Chunghoo

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The 20th century taught us how far unbridled evil can and will go when the world fails to confront it. It is time that we heed the lessons of the 20th century and stand up to these murderers. It is time that we end genocide in the 21st century.
quote by Allyson Schwartz

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I am writing about people who are alive in the city of New York during mid-20th-century America. And these people are like a character in a play or they are figures in a short story or a novel.
quote by Gay Talese

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Is it possible that literacy standards are falling because young Australians are growing up in a culture in which they can be entertained and informed, and in which they can communicate effectively, without having to master any but the most rudimentary literacy skills?
quote by Hugh Mackay

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I mean, certainly it's the single biggest event, I think, in terms of popular entertainment, or art even, if you say that, of the 20th Century. It's been film. It's the 20th Century's real art form.
quote by Sydney Pollack

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I Have Not Been To Oxford Town
Baby grace is the victim
She was 14 years of age
And the wheels are turning, turning
For the finger points at me
Alls well
But I have not been to oxford town
Alls well
But I have not been to oxford town
Toll the bell
Pay the private eye
Alls well
20th century dies
And the prison priests are decent
My attorney seems sincere
I fear my days are numbered
Lord get me out of here
Alls well
But I have not been to oxford town
Alls well
But I have not been to oxford town
Toll the bell
Pay the private eye
Alls well
20th century dies
This is your shadow on my wall
This is my flesh and blood
This is what I couldve been
And the wheels are turning and turning
As the 20th century dies
If I had not ripped the fabric
If time had not stood still
If I had not met ramona
If Id only paid my bill
Alls well
But I have not been to oxford town
Alls well
But I have not been to oxford town
Toll the bell
Pay the private eye
Alls well
20th century dies
And the wheels are turning and turning
As the 20th century dies
This is my bunk with two sheets
This is my food though foul
This is what I could have been
Toll the bell
Pay the private eye
Alls well
20th century dies
song performed by by David Bowie

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The middle class, that prisoner of the barbarian 20th century.
quote by Sinclair Lewis

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The 20th Century was the century of Aviation and the century of Globalization. The next century will be the century of Space.
quote by Wilson Greatbatch

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I was well traveled, and I created this illusion of literacy through reading and writing. I wrote a book of short stories.
quote by Tom T. Hall

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The question is, will we continue to fight what may be a rearguard action to defend universal literacy as a central goal of our education system, or are we bold enough to see what's actually happening to our culture?
quote by Hugh Mackay

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Young people and Indian people need to know that we existed in the 20th Century. We need to know who our heroes are and to know what we have done and accomplished in this century other than what Olympic athletes Jim Thorpe and Billy Mills have done.
quote by Russell Means

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Liberation Seeker
The following poem is the translation of my hindi poem Mumukhshu from the book Sab Rang
.--0-
Twentieth century
at the fag end of life
standing & waiting
to turn into history
still in two minds
thinking what to say
and to gift
twenty-first century
on its birthday.
Nuclear holocaust & nuclear proliferation?
warning on depletion of ozone?
class and color struggle?
devalued or hollow speeches
on environmental degradation?
or
the human race
which has lost its sense
in the murky world of
separatism, terrorism & extremism
playing into the hand of cancer, AIDS and drugs
yet wearing a mask of humanity and concern
weeping for fellow human beings.
Suddenly
twentieth century smiled
an aura surrounded it
springing new hope
why? why?
after all why?
twenty-first century be birthed by it
why it shouldn’t allow 21st century
to stand on it own foundation
let 21st century build itself de-novo
without the crutches of 20th century.
So without notice
20th century found solace into oblivion
into time and history
allowing 21st century to emerge
with a new dawn
liberation seeker
waiting to liberate itself
from its previous deeds
------------.
Copyright 2010 Tribhawan Kaul
poem by Tribhawan Kaul

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Louis Braille created the code of raised dots for reading and writing that bears his name and brings literacy, independence, and productivity to the blind.
The Twentieth Century Is Almost Over
Back in 1899, when everyone was singing auld lang syne
A century took a long, long time for every boy and girl.
Now theres only one thing that Id like to know
Where did the 20th century go?
Id swear it was here just a minute ago
All over this world.
Chorus:
And now the 20th century is almost over,
Almost over, almost over
The 20th century is almost over
All over this world.
All over this world, all over this world
The 20th century is almost over, all over this world.
Does anyone remember the great depression?
I read all about it in true confession
Im sorry I was late for the recording session
But somebody put me on hold.
Has anybody seen my linoleum floors
Petroleum jelly, and two world wars?
They got stuck in the revolving doors
All over this world.
And now...
The winters getting colder, summers getting hotter
Wishin wells wishin for another drop of water.
And mother earths blushin cause somebody caught her
Makin love to the man in the moon.
Tell me how you gonna keep em down on the farm
Now that outer space has lost its charm?
Somebody set off a burglar alarm
And not a moment too soon.
Because...
Old father time has got his toes a tappin
Standing in the window, grumblin and a rappin
Everybodys waiting for something to happen.
Tell me if it happens to you!
The judgment day is getting nearer
There it is in the rear view mirror.
If you duck down I could see a little clearer
All over this world!
And now...
song performed by by John Prine

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Misrepresented People
In 1492 you came upon these shores.
Seven hundred years, educated by the moors;
17th Century-- genocide and the gun
Middle Passage blessed to market the Africans.
In the so-called Land of God??
My kind were treated hard.
From back then until now
I see, and you agree--
We have been a misrepresented people.
From back then until now
Just see my family tree;
We have been a misrepresented people.
We have been a misrepresented people.
19th century-- slavery destroyed.
Soldiers who fought and won
Whats known as nigger-boys??.
20th century-- with freedom in my hand,
We invent ideas
Which helped us save a land,
But while I prayed to God
My moms and pops got whored.
From back then until now
Youll see our history;
We have been a misrepresented people.
From back then until now
Just see my family tree;
We have been a misrepresented people
Yes, we have been a misrepresented people.
1969-- Black power's at the door.
1982-- Hop-hop was on the floor.
1992-- Gangsta crack prevailed.
1999-- Our colors filled the jails.
It is through the grace of God
That we all were not scarred.
From back then until now
We see no comedy;
We have been a misrepresented people.
From back then until now
Were we still a mystery;
We have been a misrepresented people.
Yes, we have been a misrepresented people.
Though we march across time,
A sea of victories,
We have been a misrepresented people.
From back then until now
You know we made you grow;
We have been a misrepresented people.
We have been a misrepresented people.
From back then until now
We see our destiny
To never be a misrepresented people.
Yes, we march across to time to free
A melody
To never be a misrepresented people.
No you must never be a misrepresented people.
[Thanks to [email protected] for lyrics]
song performed by by Stevie Wonder

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One layer was certainly 17th century. The 18th century in him is obvious. There was the 19th century, and a large slice, of course, of the 20th century; and another, curious layer which may possibly have been the 21st.
quote by Clement Attlee

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As a piece of literacy criticism, Freud's best writing is about Dostoyevsky. It's a kind of displaced literacy criticism.
quote by Dennis Potter

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Lives in previous centuries for women are largely a matter of class. It would have been fun to have been a rich, privileged woman in the 18th century, but no fun at all to be her maid.
quote by Antonia Fraser

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Universal Traveler
Universal Traveler - Air
(Talkie Walkie; Trans. by Tish)
I know so many
Places in the world
I follow the sun
In my silver plane
Universal traveler
Universal traveler
Universal traveler
Universal traveler
If you have a look
Outside on the sea
Everything is white
It's so wonderful
Universal traveler
Universal traveler
Universal traveler
Universal traveler
So far
So far
So far away
I met so many
People in my life
I've got many friends
Who can care for me
Universal traveler
Universal traveler
Universal traveler
Universal traveler
Trust fills everywhere ?
And tomorrow
Is a brand new day
Let's go somewhere else
Universal traveler
Universal traveler
Universal traveler
Universal traveler
So far
So far
So far away
So far
So far
So far away
So far
So far
So far away
So far
So far
So far away
song performed by by Air

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The heart of the security agenda is protecting lives - and we now know that the number of people who will die of AIDS in the first decade of the 21st Century will rival the number that died in all the wars in all the decades of the 20th century.