This classroom is dedicated to Antoinette Ragonese Cummings, a first-generation Italian-American and the mother of Universal Promise founder, Martha T. Cummings. Antoinette, whose nickname was Netta, was born to parents who emigrated to the United States with little command of English. They worked hard, however, to master their new language and then insisted that their children surpass them in their academic training.
Netta was born in Milford, Massachusetts, and was a 1935 graduate of the local high school. There she developed a passion for languages, studying French, Italian, and Latin. Upon graduating, Netta pursued a nursing career at Massachusetts General Hospital. Motherhood was her true calling, however, and between 1949 and 1958, Netta had four children. She soon began to inculcate in her children the same respect for education that her parents had instilled in her. This mother of two boys and two girls believed that school was sacred and never to be missed, other than for illness or emergency.
Academic perseverance and achievement were expectations, and they were ones that were richly rewarded with praise and pride. The underlying, unwavering message throughout her tutelage was that scholarship was a pivotal key to happiness, which she defined as an augmentation of the mind, not the wallet. As a mother, Netta distinguished herself by nurturing the same values and behaviours she herself embodied. She insisted on proper grammar, led by example, exhibited a fierce loyalty, disdained narrow-mindedness, read avidly, and embodied a feisty, determined spirit.
When Martha, her youngest, came home from Grade R after her first day, Netta expected a joyous report. Instead, Martha announced that she would not be returning, as the girls were not allowed on the playground because of the dress or skirt requirement. Netta told her that she would, of course, return the next day, and Martha did, but this time her mother and father accompanied her hand-in-hand. Together the family entered through the doors of the school to request an appointment with the principal. Within 30 minutes, just moments after four-year old Martha shared her feelings, the restrictive dress code was lifted, and her little hometown took a step forward in the name of fairness. Netta’s lesson? Children do not make all the rules, but they can change the ones that are unfair.
Netta always used to say, “They can take away your home. They can take away your car. They can take away a lot of things you would never expect, but they can never take away your education.” Netta’s stunning legacy, and her priceless gift of insight, wisdom, clarity, and unabashed love, began in Europe, made its way to North America, and has now travelled to Africa in the form of this classroom dedication, proof that education is truly eternal, as is her everlasting impact.
Honored by her daughter, Martha T. Cummings