Pressing Social Concerns: Higher Education Access

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A social issue or concern refers to an issue that influences a considerable number of individuals within a society. Though many start with a few protestors, the further an issue becomes exposed to society, the more attention and individual’s interest it will garner along the way. When thinking of pressing social concerns currently, many issues come to mind; equal pay for women, being accepting of all genders and sexual preferences, protecting the environment, ending racism, to name just a few of the hundreds that are present today. Specifically, one resonated with my own personal interests, more specifically, my service learning site of Elmwood Gardens, and stood out among the rest; higher education for every American citizen. Although almost …show more content…

An article written by Peggy McIntosh entitled “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” is not meant to bring out feelings of guilt. It is not our fault we were born with white skin, and have experienced these privileges in some shape or form. Nevertheless, whether we realize it or not, we do benefit from it, and it is our fault if we don 't maintain awareness of that fact. Throughout the piece, McIntosh goes on to elaborate on the impossibility of denying that being born to one race affords certain unearned freedoms that are not readily available for another. Just a few examples she provides include: “‘I can turn on the television or open to the front page of the paper and see people of my race widely represented;’ ‘When I am told about our national heritage or about ‘civilization’, I am shown that people of my color made it what it is;’ ‘If a traffic cop pulls me over or if the IRS audits my tax return, I can be sure I haven’t been singled out because of my race;’ ‘I can if I wish arrange to be in the company of people of my race most of the time (McIntosh).’” When reading, it is undeniably apparent that people of white skin are experiencing the world in a different way. Equally important, are there fundamental factors that may have contributed to this unequal system of living? For myself, I cannot attest to the other side of this privilege. However, completing service learning through Elmwood Gardens has opened my eyes to the negative effects of not receiving the same opportunities. Unfortunately, due to lack of funds, many of these children will never receive the level of education I personally had been granted. Additionally, the kids will face an uphill battle financially, educationally, and life in general. Specifically, a piece of reference that I will vividly remember for years was a point made by Kristof. He composed a five-part column, titled “When Whites

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