Addressing Oppression: Using Privilege To Fight For Social Justice

According to Patricia Hill Collins, all identities are complex and all people have interlocking identities that are subjected to power. In order to fully understand the identities of others and of ourselves, we must pay special attention to all the different aspects of our being as well as the intersecting forms of oppression that we face. The different facets of our identity, together, help make us who we are.

Being a follower of the Jewish faith, having a strong connection to the land of Israel, and being a strong supporter of the Israel has, all my life, made me feel disadvantaged in American society. It has often made me feel oppressed, targeted, and unwelcome. Although I have often times been made to feel as though I am alone in my struggle against oppression in this society, I know that I am not. People are oppressed because of their race, class, sexual orientation, and even ability. People are oppressed because a certain part of their identity appears to be an anomaly to that of mainstream society.

While many people in our society face oppression, many do still have elements in their identity which give them privilege. When I was younger, I never gave much thought to each of the aspects of my identity. I knew that the fact that I was Jewish set me apart from others; however, I had not analyzed the other parts of my identity (race, class, gender, sexual orientation, and ability included). There are so many facets to each individual and, instead of appreciating that I came from a financially stable family, that I was straight, Caucasian, and fully able, I had only chosen to focus on the fact that I was different in a religious sense. I realized that although I may not have been privileged in my religious affiliation, I was privileged in other areas.

Often times, those who hold the most privilege in America tend to focus on maintaining their position in the social hierarchy, rather than using their power to help others and advocate for equality and social justice. While many might disagree, I strongly believe it to be the duty of all those who hold privilege in our society to help in this struggle against oppression. If those who hold power in our society stand idly by and choose not to take action to help those currently suffering in our country, who will decide to help? There is much inequality that still exists in our country today. If those in power were to use their high status and wealth for good and if those in power were to find a way to change the way we think about others through the creation of new educational curriculum, media reform, and institutional change, a more equal and happier world would result.

As a future educator, I intend to advocate for those less fortunate than I, and look forward to teaching my students to do the same.

Education: The Key To Success

"To repeat what others have said, requires education; to challenge it, requires brains." -Mary Pettibone Poole

Education is known as the act of imparting knowledge to others. It is the process of facilitated learning. While many students often feel their grades to be the "be-all, end-all" of their existence, education is about so much more than just "good grades". 

Education is not solely about taking notes and memorizing facts in order to pass a test. Rather, it is the focus of what provides us with the skills we need in order to question others, advocate for our own beliefs, think critically, and make the world a better place. Education is about the journey, not the destination.

No one is perfect. We don't always get the math problem correct and we don't always fully grasp the meaning of the required summer reading. The amazing thing about education is that there is always a different strategy that can be taught to us that can help us solve that math problem, and there is always a new perspective we can look at in order to more effectively analyze the literature. Education is about understanding. It is about using all that we have learned in order to look at things in a new way. It is about trying to figure out the "why".

We, as people, never stop learning. Life is an on-going journey; a learning process, and we have no idea of knowing where it will lead us. We must remember, however, that true higher learning means learning how to think rather than what to think. 

A Success Story: My Struggle With Academics

Like Pierre de Coubertin once said, "The important thing in life is not the triumph, but the struggle". I like to think of this quote as my life motto. Both motivational and inspirational, this quote has given me the strength I need to persevere and overcome what has, in my life, often felt like an insurmountable obstacle. Had I not been faced with such a great struggle so early on in my life, I would not have been able to become the intelligent, independent, and skillful woman that I am today.

While you wouldn't know it by looking at my college transcript, and while the thought would never cross your mind, reading my name off of the Dean's List six consecutive semesters, academics didn't always come easy to me. Throughout my middle school and high school experience, I struggled to learn from many educators who taught students using only one particular strategy. This proved difficult for me especially because I, as a student, do not always benefit from traditional teaching styles. From the fourth grade through the beginning of high school, I would be up until all hours of the night trying to complete my homework. I didn't understand why it took me so long to complete my work, or why it seemed to take my classmates less than half as long as it took me. While my older brother was able to go over to his friends' houses to hang out until dinner time every day after school, I was stuck at home frantically trying to complete my schoolwork. I wanted more than anything to be able to see my friends after school, but it just didn't seem possible because I would never have enough time to finish everything. I was angry. I was frustrated. I was lonely.

I have always been a strong-willed student and while many things didn't seem to come naturally to me, I always had faith in myself and persevered. While my schoolwork didn't seem to show it, I knew I was a smart girl and just needed a little direction.

After being diagnosed with a learning disability in the eighth grade, I began attending sessions at the Research Institute for Learning and Development (ILD), a not-for-profit organization devoted to helping all students become successful learners. It was here that I was paired with the learning specialist who would change my life. This learning specialist was such an inspiration to me and taught me numerous strategies to use for note-taking, problem-solving, time management, and essay organization. After learning new ways to approach my difficulties, I decided to dedicate my time to using these skills in order to become a more efficient and organized student. 

The new strategies I learned were helpful for not one, but every course I was taking. As acknowledgement of my determination, persistence, and resilience in academics, I received the Drive to Thrive Award from the Research Institute of Learning and Development, showing that many students, like myself, need material presented to them in several forms in order for them to grasp a better understanding of it and to succeed. Since my time studying at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, I have been able to apply each of these strategies to my schoolwork and, in the last 2 and a half years, have received nothing short of an A!

After graduating from a high school where I was unable to take full advantage of the extracurricular activities offered, I made sure to make the most of my college career at UMass. Because my class work came so much more easily to me in college, I had the time to get involved and was able to become a part of so many amazing student organizations, clubs, and employment opportunities offered on campus. During my time at UMass, I was able to join the Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity, write for the UMass Amherst branch of Her Campus Media as an article columnist, and complete the coursework necessary to become a member of the Sinai Scholars Society as well as the JLIC Maimonides Jewish Leaders Fellowship. In addition, I was able to serve as an active member of the UMass Student Alliance for Israel, the UMass Hillel, and the UMass Chabad. While each of these organizations gave me the chance to further develop my leadership skills and scholarship, the employment positions and voluntary positions I was able to hold at UMass allowed me to master the skills I know I will need in the workforce. Such skills include efficiency, effectiveness, organization, and event-planning. While I have so much to be proud of, I would not be where I am without the teacher who helped me see things differently.

In his writings, Dr. Robert Brooks, one of today’s leading speakers and authors on the topic of motivation, resilience, and the important qualities of effective leaders, mentions the idea of a “charismatic” teacher. He says that “charismatic” teachers are those who “possess expertise in their subject areas but they also appreciate that if students are to learn from them, they must touch their hearts as well as their minds” (Brooks 2000). The learning specialist I was paired with at the Research Institute for Learning and Development concentrated on my strengths, using my strengths to help me overcome my weaknesses. She showed such compassion for me and consistently encouraged me in all that I did, both academically and socially. Most importantly, this learning specialist was relatable, making me feel comfortable and allowing me to form a strong bond with her. In my opinion, she showed the qualities that every teacher should have!

Ever since attending sessions at ILD, it has been my goal to become this kind of “charismatic” teacher for students of my own. I know that there are so many other students like myself, who don't always benefit from traditional teaching styles. As a result of this, I feel as though I have a strong advantage in that I would be able to relate to students in a way that many other teachers have not been able. It is my greatest hope that I am able to redirect struggling students early on, put them on the right track, and save them from the years of hardship that I had to endure. 

Next year, I will be attending graduate school at Simmons College where I will be working toward my Master's degree in Elementary Education so that I can make my dream into a reality. I can't wait to change the lives of other students, like my learning specialist was able to do for me and I look forward to empowering my own students to be life-long learners.