And so we continue...
This week we were introduced to some of the social justice projects that have been brewing in our midst. I have to say that each group did a spectacular job at capturing the social injustices and creating social action plans to rectify the situations.
Project H
I was definitely moved by the emotional ties that this group experienced with this population. I was captivated by their video and could feel their passion as they each described their experience with finding out about the homeless population here in Austin. Symone especially moved me. She is so right, often times I never even think about the way my life flows effortlessly until something or someone interferes and I'm made uncomfortable. I take everything that I have for granted on most days and sometimes I find myself struggling to remain humble and grateful for all of my blessings. This was a true eye opener. Since this presentation, I have stopped whining about what I don't have and become more aware of the needs of others. I always thought that I was a good person, and I am, but this presentation not only opened my eyes, but my heart as well.
Educational Disparity
I was a student at Reagan in 1980. Seems so long ago! At that time, Reagan was one of the top school in the district, academically and sports-wise. It was also pre-dominantly black. Educational disparity probably existed but we were sometimes years ahead of other schools. I remember in 1975, I was in the 4th grade when they integrated the school system here in Austin for the first time. I went from a predominantly black school to an all-white school. I was one of about 6 kids. We were placed in special classes even after I told the teacher that I had already read the book that they were reading. I had read it in the 3rd grade. I had also done all of the math and other subjects that they were just now doing. After about two weeks I was moved into an excellorated class, but I already felt like I had something to prove. I believe that sometimes I still operate in that place. I am very interested in working with this group on their social action plan.
AfterWorkActivism
This group really surprised me. This really ties into my groups' social justice project. I kept wondering exactly what they meant but once I was informed, I was moved into action. This is exactly what is needed for students who want to participate but have to work to pay their way through college or are student with other obligations. Activism done in times when those unable to attend during regular college hours will definitely be successful. I was also impressed that studentsfrom other schools couldalso get involved. This was a great presentation!
Executive Orders
I have to say that if I was in their video, I would have been one of the people who did not know anything about an executive order! I was so frustrated with them at the level of secrecy tied to finding out about how to fight an executive order. And to think that even the capital librarian could not help them, I'm appalled. Katy is the student I mentioned in my prior blog that is so active in so many social justice fights. I know she had to be doubly frustrated becasue she works to get things done and to get people informed. I would really like to see this go in another direction so that if one wanted to fught an executive order, there could be some kind of guidelines to follow besides standing in front of the capital. This was perhaps the project I learned from the most because it left me with knowledge of what it really takes for change to happen.
These presentations was so inspiring, I am really looking forward to what next week brings!
Until next week....
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Visions For Change
Well, the end of the semester is fast approaching and I am starting to experience the end of the semester blues. I am finding that my entire outlook on social justice has been changed through addressing my own ideas and prejudices. Blogging has opened up a whole new world to me thaat I didn't know existed. Throughout the chapters of the Adams text, we have looked at ways that society has endured and continues to perpetuate social injustices through racism, ageism and adultism, sexism, feminism, and a host of other ways that we dress up and call "norms". So now that we have all this information, what exactly are we to do with it?
We must have a plan of action if this is to mean anything. The last few chapters in the Adams text talks about creating visions and strategies for change. This week I have a list of questions that I would like to ask my peers. Please post your answers or have them ready for class on Monday because it just seems a shame to leave this class feeling like I have some knowledge of what social justice means but no ideas or inclinations to actively pursue justice for anyone, including myself.
1. What, if anything, have you learned about social justice?
2. Do you aspire to advocate for others? In what way/s?
3. Do you feel that there is social inequality?
4. Do you feel that everyone is responsible for these inequalities?
5. What have you done this semester besides the social justice project to promote equality?
6. Do you think one person can affect change?
7. What are some of the things that you would like to see change in the next 5 years?
8. Do you think that the Trayvon issue is just a small part of a larger problem?
9. Do you think we accomplished anything positive in this class?
10. What are your plans to increase awareness and become active in promoting social justice?
When I ask myself these questions, I am disappointed by some of the answers but vow to actively start pursuing a more active role in the fight for equality for all, regardless of the circumstance. Why do I feel that some injustices are worthy fighting but not all? One of our classmates is very proactive when it comes to injustices and sometimes I am blown away by the activities she attends all to fight injustice. I should strive to be more like her. We all should. Even if it doesn't affect us personally, we should fight because it is the right thing to do.
I'll leave you with this,
"It takes courage to interrogate yourself. It takes courage to look at the mirror and see past your reflection to who you really are when you take off the mask, when you're not performing the same old routines and social roles. It takes courage to ask--how did I become so well adjusted to injustice? Cornel West (Adams p.587)
Until next week....
We must have a plan of action if this is to mean anything. The last few chapters in the Adams text talks about creating visions and strategies for change. This week I have a list of questions that I would like to ask my peers. Please post your answers or have them ready for class on Monday because it just seems a shame to leave this class feeling like I have some knowledge of what social justice means but no ideas or inclinations to actively pursue justice for anyone, including myself.
1. What, if anything, have you learned about social justice?
2. Do you aspire to advocate for others? In what way/s?
3. Do you feel that there is social inequality?
4. Do you feel that everyone is responsible for these inequalities?
5. What have you done this semester besides the social justice project to promote equality?
6. Do you think one person can affect change?
7. What are some of the things that you would like to see change in the next 5 years?
8. Do you think that the Trayvon issue is just a small part of a larger problem?
9. Do you think we accomplished anything positive in this class?
10. What are your plans to increase awareness and become active in promoting social justice?
When I ask myself these questions, I am disappointed by some of the answers but vow to actively start pursuing a more active role in the fight for equality for all, regardless of the circumstance. Why do I feel that some injustices are worthy fighting but not all? One of our classmates is very proactive when it comes to injustices and sometimes I am blown away by the activities she attends all to fight injustice. I should strive to be more like her. We all should. Even if it doesn't affect us personally, we should fight because it is the right thing to do.
I'll leave you with this,
"It takes courage to interrogate yourself. It takes courage to look at the mirror and see past your reflection to who you really are when you take off the mask, when you're not performing the same old routines and social roles. It takes courage to ask--how did I become so well adjusted to injustice? Cornel West (Adams p.587)
Until next week....
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Adultism
"Like sundown laws of the old South requiring black people to leave town before dark, youth escort laws requiring young prople to be accompanied by an adult over the age of twenty-one years or depart malls before 7p.m. aim to regulate the presence of members of the subordinate group to suit the needs and preferences of members of the dominant group. These laws determine when and under what circumstances youth, the target group, can be in the presence of adults, the dominant group, reinforcing and highlighting adult power and the powerlessness of youth. Rooted in the adage of a not-so-long-gone era, "Children are to be seen and not heard," youth escort laws reflect absolute adult power over young people along with societal attitudes of disdain and lack of respect for youth (Adams p.533)."
Welcome back...When I first read these words I was vividly reminded of when I was a kid and you were never allowed to sit around or even talk to the "grown folks". As a result, I couldn't wait to be grown! Now that I am an adult, I can see how that treatment can negatively impact kids. One day, I told my own daughter to get out of grown folks business and that remark somehow triggered a split in our relationship that has taken years to get through. She recently told me that she felt from that moment own that she didn't fell able to share with me on an adult level because I was alwys reminding her that she was a kid. She is an adult and I realized that I had carried the treatment I received as a kid into my own parenting style. I was able to apologize and because I still have a 15-year old, I'm better equipped to make sure she feels like she can speak and when she does, make sure she feels like she's heard.
The way society has set up the divide between youth and adults has caused a massive gap which seems like it will never be bridged. Although discpline and structure are necessary for children, must it always be done in such a way as to make it seem like it's because we're better than them. We treat older people no different. When I was growing up, the older people were to be respected and almost revered. They garnered a respect that as a kid I couldn't see they deserved. Now I know differently. It is not about the age, it is about the person's wisdom and experience with life that I should respect. In my Communities and Organizations class, my group has been doing a needs assessment on the low-income older population. What I've seen so far is that people somehow forget that this population exists and also needs resources, support, and care just like all the other disadvantaged population. Because most receive a monthly Social Security check or SSDI, they are not eligible for any other public services. This fixed income is just barely enough to pay their mortgage or rent so many end up using food banks and other community resources like Meals On Wheels to make ends meet throughout the month. Not only is it a shame but it should be a crime that in the United States we have children and older people going to bed hungry.
So, what I have learned as an adult? First, the older you get, the more your body and mind needs rest. Children are people, too and should be treated as such. The older people do deserve the respect of everyone and we should all feel obligated to care for them. Discrimination is discrimination, whether it's race, gender, sexual orientation, or AGE. I'm proud to have lived as long as I have and gained the knowledge that I have but if it comes at the expense and sacrifice of others, it loses some of its luster.
Until next week....
Welcome back...When I first read these words I was vividly reminded of when I was a kid and you were never allowed to sit around or even talk to the "grown folks". As a result, I couldn't wait to be grown! Now that I am an adult, I can see how that treatment can negatively impact kids. One day, I told my own daughter to get out of grown folks business and that remark somehow triggered a split in our relationship that has taken years to get through. She recently told me that she felt from that moment own that she didn't fell able to share with me on an adult level because I was alwys reminding her that she was a kid. She is an adult and I realized that I had carried the treatment I received as a kid into my own parenting style. I was able to apologize and because I still have a 15-year old, I'm better equipped to make sure she feels like she can speak and when she does, make sure she feels like she's heard.
The way society has set up the divide between youth and adults has caused a massive gap which seems like it will never be bridged. Although discpline and structure are necessary for children, must it always be done in such a way as to make it seem like it's because we're better than them. We treat older people no different. When I was growing up, the older people were to be respected and almost revered. They garnered a respect that as a kid I couldn't see they deserved. Now I know differently. It is not about the age, it is about the person's wisdom and experience with life that I should respect. In my Communities and Organizations class, my group has been doing a needs assessment on the low-income older population. What I've seen so far is that people somehow forget that this population exists and also needs resources, support, and care just like all the other disadvantaged population. Because most receive a monthly Social Security check or SSDI, they are not eligible for any other public services. This fixed income is just barely enough to pay their mortgage or rent so many end up using food banks and other community resources like Meals On Wheels to make ends meet throughout the month. Not only is it a shame but it should be a crime that in the United States we have children and older people going to bed hungry.
So, what I have learned as an adult? First, the older you get, the more your body and mind needs rest. Children are people, too and should be treated as such. The older people do deserve the respect of everyone and we should all feel obligated to care for them. Discrimination is discrimination, whether it's race, gender, sexual orientation, or AGE. I'm proud to have lived as long as I have and gained the knowledge that I have but if it comes at the expense and sacrifice of others, it loses some of its luster.
Until next week....
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Ableism
Well, another week has flown by! We are wrapping up another semester filled with tears, laughter, and knowledge. We are coming to the end of the "ISMS" and we have learned that we have either practiced them or advocated against them. This week, we move on to "ableism". This particular topic is the main reason I returned to college.
In October of 2003, I walked into a day-hab facility for people with mental or physical disabilities for the first time. I felt like I had finally found my purpose. After a life of fast-food management, I was at the complete opposite of the spectrum when it comes to a career. During the interview, the owners were called away for an emergency situation and when they returned, I was surrounded by a group of clients and engaged in an animated discussion on life-skills. I was immediately hired. Over the next five years, I worked with this population in every way possible. From the supervisor of that day-hab, to direct care staff at group homes to finally as a foster parent to a client in my home. What was abundantly clear throughout was the disadvantages of this population. Funding was often cut, resources were scarce, and many were treated as if they somehow were the cause of their disabilities. Things needed to change. At first, I thought that opening my own residential service would make a difference so I initially enrolled in college to become a Qualified Mental Retardation Professional (QMRP). After a couple of semesters, I realized that the title had been changed so I was trying to figure out what to do instead. After talking with a counselor, I realized that the changes needed to happen at the policy level and so, I changed my major to social work and the rest is history. This population is treated by levels with the most severe being an 8 and the less severe being a 1. The eligibility requirements to change a client's level is much too difficult even when there is proof that the client's needs warrant a more severe level diagnosis. This is just one of many changes that needs to be made to the current system. I absolutely adore this population! I have found that many are more "able" than most of us and the ridicule, discrimination, and disadvantages that they face must end.
Throughout the years, many actors have played characters with physical and mental disabilities. I often wonder what exactly they are trying to say. Is it to bring awareness to the difficulties that they face or does it just cause more ridicule? One movie that I think completely captures exactly how many developmentally disabled adults feel is "The Other Sister". There are a lot of dynamics and "isms" in this movie so if you haven't seen it, I definitely suggest that you do. I am including a short clip.
I hope that everyone has a wonderful Easter and be safe on your travels.
Until next week....
In October of 2003, I walked into a day-hab facility for people with mental or physical disabilities for the first time. I felt like I had finally found my purpose. After a life of fast-food management, I was at the complete opposite of the spectrum when it comes to a career. During the interview, the owners were called away for an emergency situation and when they returned, I was surrounded by a group of clients and engaged in an animated discussion on life-skills. I was immediately hired. Over the next five years, I worked with this population in every way possible. From the supervisor of that day-hab, to direct care staff at group homes to finally as a foster parent to a client in my home. What was abundantly clear throughout was the disadvantages of this population. Funding was often cut, resources were scarce, and many were treated as if they somehow were the cause of their disabilities. Things needed to change. At first, I thought that opening my own residential service would make a difference so I initially enrolled in college to become a Qualified Mental Retardation Professional (QMRP). After a couple of semesters, I realized that the title had been changed so I was trying to figure out what to do instead. After talking with a counselor, I realized that the changes needed to happen at the policy level and so, I changed my major to social work and the rest is history. This population is treated by levels with the most severe being an 8 and the less severe being a 1. The eligibility requirements to change a client's level is much too difficult even when there is proof that the client's needs warrant a more severe level diagnosis. This is just one of many changes that needs to be made to the current system. I absolutely adore this population! I have found that many are more "able" than most of us and the ridicule, discrimination, and disadvantages that they face must end.
I hope that everyone has a wonderful Easter and be safe on your travels.
Until next week....
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