Where’s the Hope?
As a sociology major and women studies minor, studying inequalities, observing them in real life, and examining remedies to them are some of my passions and what I believe to be my life’s work. However, I must admit that sometimes studying these subjects can be depressing. Sometimes I lose hope that America’s inequalities can ever be alleviated. With a history so entrenched with discrimination, inequality, disappointment, racism, sexism, classism, and prejudice, America far too often fails to appear to me as a land of opportunity and hope. When I look at the effects of America’s history of oppression on various aspects of day-to-day life (such as housing, transportation, economics, employment, and education), it is extremely too easy to point out the problems that persist in this country. Where’s the hope for change? Where’s the hope for a better America?
I guess I could say that the hope is in the election of Obama, or maybe even the increase of minimum wage. But even more tangibly I could say that the hope is in a class of eager students willing to learn about the Urban Crisis in America. The fact that such a course is even offered in universities today is a sign of progress because it signifies that America is finally starting to acknowledge some of its problems and shortcomings. More importantly, it is raising up a group of leaders who are learning to become passionate about alleviating some of these problems. Yet, I believe the ultimate sign of hope is in the individuals that comprise such a class. Whether these individuals have come together to learn more about AIDS in the community, gangs in the community, segregation in education, homelessness in a city, or the effects of gentrification on displaced people, they have all come together for one common purpose. My hope is that the individuals with whom I shared this class will continue their quest towards improving our country’s social, political, educational, and economic conditions.
The next time I ask where my hope for a better America is, I’ll simply think of the individuals in my class. My hope for a better America is in us. I pray that we continue to carry the torch.