Growing up, I idolized the “American Dream”, if you work hard you can be rich. This meant that your financial status or class was essentially in your own hands. While I do find that to be true to some extent, over the years and through this class I have realized that certain factors can rig this ideology. When I stumbled upon the term ‘intersectionality’ I learned how aspects of our identity such as race, sex, religion, etc. overlap. Eventually, it all made sense and I was able to connect the dots.
Bias is an innate part of human behavior and can even be beneficial at times. However when these bias’ are carried into schools or workplaces it can severely impact marginalized groups. One of the most prime examples in today’s society being the policing and the prison system. Even through slavery was abolished in 1865, the U.S. prison system has become a loophole for the legal incarceration of black people, and it does not stop here. Eventually when these individuals are released it is almost impossible for them to find a job or even be taken seriously. This forces me to ask myself, how does our society ever expect us to shatter the relationship between race and socioeconomic status, if we continue this endless cycle? Additionally, in my own life, I have witnessed how educational injustice limits students in low income, mostly minority neighborhoods with fewer class options and educational opportunities. So then I ask myself again, how does our society expect to break this cycle if we continue to permit such a disparity?
Through my educational career, I have spent a lot of time learning about social class and race. However, in Professor Tennant’s class, I was challenged to think about how these two concepts truly overlap and think deeper about the root issues regarding class and race, rather than just the symptoms. What I am now realizing, is that many of the societal systems in place that allow this economic inequality to fester are doing through indirect methods. The only way to make even fathom change is to first address the root causes.