Since September of 2015, I’ve been interning with the Quaker-based, non-violent, social justice group, the American Friends Service Committee. During this time, I’ve learned so much about myself, as well as Kansas City’s youth. I’ve helped organize a city-wide high school poster art project and a poetry workshop of the same — giving students a platform to speak out on social issues. This consisted of conducting interactive lecture style classes in Kansas City metro schools such as Paseo, Wyandotte, Washington, Cristo Rey, De La Salle, and various youth organizations. I’ve helped students from Muslim, Latino, African (Black), Caucasian (White), and other communities, use their voice through art. I’ve heard stories from students on how the ICE
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It’s not enough to diagnose by seeing the symptoms connected to the issues. We have to look at the root disease and kill it.
Latino families aren’t “illegally” crossing imaginary borders because they want to rob Americans and take our precious jobs. African-American youth don’t come out the womb wanting to be drug dealers, or as Hilary Clinton once stated, “super-predators.” African and Middle Eastern children aren’t born with some religious love for war, they want a normal life with the necessities they need to survive. Even through the worst poverty, you can see the eyes of love, fun, and belonging.
To look deeper is to ask, who used the United Fruit company to start wars, gain political control, and create poverty in Latino nations that made them flee their beloved homes? Or, who created the path for Black communities to be flooded with crack-cocaine? Or what paid-off officials in war-torn African nations are in partnership with Western powered growth that exploits young …show more content…
Yes, we want to address the immediate needs of our complex problems, but we need to examine them as a whole, looking at the invisible powers that create or allow for them to exist.
One of the primary problems we focused on is economic injustice and wealth gaps. These affect all ethnic groups under the collective White majority in America. Many scholars, social scientist, and economist have identified positive links between livable employment, business ownership, alternative economies, and their role in creating wealth.
Nevertheless, this brings me to a focused view of economics for Black people in the midst of an exploitative capitalist structure. I’m learning many perspectives and struggles of other groups but we must place priority on our own issues. Dr. Claud Anderson — entrepreneur and former Federal Co-chairman of a regional commission under president Jimmy Cater — explains my point in his book, PowerNomics: The National Plan to Empower Black America,
“Since Black Americans primary problem is the lack of wealth, then a primary part of a solution must be for Blacks to gain wealth. We must learn alternative ways wealth is created and how to capitalize on human needs and desires to gain
It’s not enough to diagnose by seeing the symptoms connected to the issues. We have to look at the root disease and kill it.
Latino families aren’t “illegally” crossing imaginary borders because they want to rob Americans and take our precious jobs. African-American youth don’t come out the womb wanting to be drug dealers, or as Hilary Clinton once stated, “super-predators.” African and Middle Eastern children aren’t born with some religious love for war, they want a normal life with the necessities they need to survive. Even through the worst poverty, you can see the eyes of love, fun, and belonging.
To look deeper is to ask, who used the United Fruit company to start wars, gain political control, and create poverty in Latino nations that made them flee their beloved homes? Or, who created the path for Black communities to be flooded with crack-cocaine? Or what paid-off officials in war-torn African nations are in partnership with Western powered growth that exploits young …show more content…
Yes, we want to address the immediate needs of our complex problems, but we need to examine them as a whole, looking at the invisible powers that create or allow for them to exist.
One of the primary problems we focused on is economic injustice and wealth gaps. These affect all ethnic groups under the collective White majority in America. Many scholars, social scientist, and economist have identified positive links between livable employment, business ownership, alternative economies, and their role in creating wealth.
Nevertheless, this brings me to a focused view of economics for Black people in the midst of an exploitative capitalist structure. I’m learning many perspectives and struggles of other groups but we must place priority on our own issues. Dr. Claud Anderson — entrepreneur and former Federal Co-chairman of a regional commission under president Jimmy Cater — explains my point in his book, PowerNomics: The National Plan to Empower Black America,
“Since Black Americans primary problem is the lack of wealth, then a primary part of a solution must be for Blacks to gain wealth. We must learn alternative ways wealth is created and how to capitalize on human needs and desires to gain