A World We Dare To Imagine
If I were to change the world in anyway I could, I would start with the African-American children and young adults in low income neighborhoods such as the neighborhood that surrounds USC. I believe as a student who attends USC, I have a responsibility to take advantage of all the opportunities I have been given and use them to help others. I feel especially drawn to help low income children and young adults from African American descent because of how I have seen the constant battle of Black Americans within the United States.
Although some disagree, African American people in the United States continue to suffer from discrimination. An example is economic inequality, including higher rates of poverty, lower median household incomes, and less access to opportunities for wealth creation than their white counterparts. It is apparent that they continue to suffer from other inequalities too such as health disparities and less access to high quality healthcare.
My first goal in making this world a better place would be to fund programs to tutor and watch young children and adults after school, teach them financial literacy, and aid students through the college application process. I think if students were able to have constant figures in their lives that encourage them to stay involved in the academic sphere rather than joining neighborhood gangs, there would be less violence and more retention in primary, secondary, and high schools.
I believe for a lot of these young adults, they turn to violence and gangs for support and if neighborhood organizations are able to offer that support within these kid’s lives, they would view violence as a less appealing route. These organizations could also aid working mothers and fathers within these neighborhoods to ensure their kids will be well taken after and will receive the education and emotional support that they might not have time or energy to provide.
Naomie, I completely agree with your assertion that we, as USC students, should utilize our opportunities to help those around us. I also agree that people of African American descent have experienced injustice, discrimination, and disadvantages for several decades in this country. We all have a responsibility to bridge this gap and help young adults of African American descent prosper with the same opportunities other American citizens enjoy. I agree with your start with educational aid programs. I think that this is the best way to help the younger generation escape the pitfalls of gang violence. Through education comes a world of opportunities and alternatives to violence. One thing I was thinking about is increasing awareness of the options available to young adults of African American descent. I think sometimes higher education can seem so unattainable that young people result to gangs. However, there are many different programs that can benefit young adults in these communities. For example, online programs, community college, night school, and many others that might accommodate a work schedule to keep a family above ground.
ReplyDeleteNaomie, I totally agree. I sometimes feel guilty that I am not making the best use of USC's resources to help people. We pay so much money for tuition to go here and have so many life changing tools that we could use to help the people around us but we get complaisant sometimes. We also just don't know what to do or where to start. I think our greatest tool is each other. (as corny as that sounds). I think we'd be genuinely surprised how many people would offer to tutor some of these kids for free.
ReplyDeleteEducation is one of those things that develops a person. It isn't a one time use gift, but something they can use and apply for the rest of their lives. As we heard in class, it is better to teach someone how to fish than to just give them fish. I love your idea and can't wait to see how you flesh it out. Always happy to help as well.
I agree with you that students that attend schools like USC have a duty to help others through the advantage we have been given. We have the opportunity to go to these great schools and be offered resources that most people don't have the access to, which affect their future. I think that a great way to help is to focus on children as they are the future generation, especially black Americans that have suffered racism due to our system and government. It is disheartening when you see the lack of resources that are given to schools and we see the aftermath of it. Focusing on tutor programs and their education can help children stay away from gang violence and show there is a life that doesn’t involve this.
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