Thank You
Last spring I was accepted into Uni. I spent the summer planning and arranging classes that I would like to take in the fall and spring. Honestly, when I heard of the Topics in Social Justice class, I was quite a bit intimidated by it. Going to Catholic school since Kindergarten, political conversations, whether they be about race, the environment, or human rights issues, were (and are) a very taboo topic. Even at my previous high school, being involved in a political conversation with a liberal perspective was always a battle that I was going to lose. As hard as it is to say, over time, I learned to just keep my mouth shut at school because speaking up was never going to do any good. My flame was put out just as soon as it started burning, so I did not sign up for Topics in Social Justice. What good would it be?
Well, in a turn of events, I ended up taking Topics in Social Justice, and I could not be more grateful for that happy little accident. Initially, I was still very timid, whether it appeared like I was. I was worried that I would sound dumb and trip over my words. The last time I had been an active participant in a political conversation, I was shut down. It felt odd and a little bit uncomfortable to be participating in conversations where I did not feel the need to repeatedly defend myself and put up a wall. Over time, though, through Dr. O’Brien and the other students in the class, I became more confident in myself and my thoughts, opinions, and comments.
Through Topics in Social Justice, I learned many things, not only about the country and world as a whole, but also about the community around me. I learned about how frequently one issue contains a multitude of issues. Environmental issues are not environmental issues alone. They encompass other political issues such as race, class, and gender. I learned about the injustices throughout our country and how to communicate with our elected officials to work to solve said injustices. In addition to this, I learned about environmental racism that was and is occurring in Champaign, particularly, the 5th & Hill Campaign. My privilege and cowardice were covering my eyes to the injustices that were surrounding me. I am very appreciative that Dr. O’Brien and those in Topics in Social Justice allowed me to feel that my voice was being heard by somebody other than just me. Through this class and them, I have gained more confidence in believing that my voice matters, not only in Champaign, but in the world. Thank you.
Yes Sam! Your voice totally matters. I loved taking social justice and getting to hear everyone's voice in conversation; everyone had something to bring to the table! Being able to talk openly and critically is so important and I'm glad that this class served as a safe space for us to have critical conversations. I too learned so much this year! For me, it was most shocking to learn about how environmental injustices are plaguing this very community. Even after finishing this class, I want to continue educating myself and advocating.
ReplyDeleteI think you echo the experiences of a lot of people in today's world, particularly students, who feel like any time they try to speak up about political issues they just get shut down. I think it's great that uni offers this class and I too enjoyed it. Like you mentioned, I was particularly interested in learning about the intersectionality of issues and how things that might seem simple actually are much more complex. If you like this class, I would suggest taking Gender Studies at some point at Uni! I took it last semester and really enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great blog post! I, too, went to Catholic School for my entire educational career up until Uni and I definitely understand the struggle of having more liberal viewpoints than the majority of your peers. This is especially hard when, as you identify in this post, people aren't usually quick to start up conversations about politics and the environment. I am very glad that I took this class too because I learned so much and I totally agree with Anya in the sense that you should take Gender Studies at some point!
ReplyDeleteThanks for being so open in this post! Your experiences at your previous schools with sharing your opinion sounded really isolating, and I'm sorry that you felt that your voice wasn't heard. Unfortunately, this type of intolerance to different views is a predominant part of our society, which we all have to work on as a community to find compromises and establish efficient communication. I definitely agree with your thoughts on our Social Justice class in the respect that it felt like a comfortable environment in which we could all share our thoughts candidly. I hope to see the type of atmosphere we had in this class spread into other schools and areas of learning, so the silencing experiences you had no longer continue.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing! I really enjoyed having you in class and getting to know you this year. I loved this class too and I for me it was a great way to become better acquainted with social justice topics and speaking about them. I liked how comfortable the environment was and I felt like if I made a mistake in what I said it would be ok. Great post!
ReplyDeleteThis is such an uplifting blog post to read and I'm glad you were able to regain your voice. As many topics having become more political and polarizing in this country, it can be hard to engage in good discussion. While many people in our class agreed on most issues, we were still able to have nuanced and interesting conversations together.
ReplyDeleteYour last situation sounds really depressing and unfortunate, and I'm really glad this class contributed to helping you feel more accepted and comfortable. I think that the Uni climate will be a really great change of pace for you, everyone really is super supportive. Hope to see you in person next year, and I hope it's even better than this one was for you.
ReplyDelete