Brief Introduction to What This Is

I've decided to stir into the skid. When you're working to help underserved populations, the journey is paved with struggle. Instead of letting the pain overcome me, I've decided to put these thoughts down for all to read, to feel, and to stand in solidarity with the students that are doing way more than I am capable of achieving.

This is my book. This is my journey. These are the most honest piece of me that I can give - these are my words.

Chapter One: How I Got Here

I spend a lot of my time working. I work on grades (which need the Christ). I’m trying to work on getting my body right for summer (needs Christ²). I work to make a living and eventually move out of my mother’s basement.

So you can imagine my elation when I was given a position within our Student Government Association that would afford me the opportunity to work in what I love. I get the honor and the pleasure to serve underrepresented students in any capacity, I get a team of awesome people who can help, and I make a little chump change on the side. I eat, sleep, and breathe, my job - when I’m in the office, and when I’m at home and I should be sleeping. I’m thinking about this job, when I’m at my other job, which pays substantially more money, but is nowhere near as filling.

So what’s the issue? Why am I so angry? Why am I lamenting?

Because it’s DIVERSITY.

1. diversity [dəˈvərsədē, dīˈvərsədē] – the inclusion of individuals representing more than one national origin, color, religion, socioeconomic stratum, sexual orientation, etc.

1. diversity – a trend that has had a magical resurgence in the past decade as us young minorities are keeping on the battle that our fore-parents took on.
   1. Often championed by middle-class whites in an emerging company who are looking to keep their job.
   2. The biggest “buzz” of our century. I’m calling it now.

Strong diversity implementation and appreciation is the biggest threat to the current status quo of America. It is the biggest threat to dismantling white supremacy and to eradicating white privilege. Implementing strong diversity initiatives is our key to just maybe, with a touch of Holy Spirit, putting an end to systemic and institutional racism. In a perfect world, there would be no white privilege, and without systemic white privilege, there would be no need for Affirmative Action programs, as we would all be on the same level playing field.

I’m advantageous in thinking that such a change in a system built on the graves on people of color is even possible. But I have to shoot for something.

In a society where differences in race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, and religion are no longer seen as barriers, but as advantages to solving humankind’s issues, everyone wins, right?

Wrong.

For those who have everything they own thanks to white privilege, this is scary, and it has people upset. But I find it hard to sympathize, because I was born upset. It is easy for white people to understand that we are people of color are underprivileged. Yet they refuse address the main issues: who made us underprivileged? Why? When? How? Where? And finally - if we, all people of color, and underprivileged, than by the laws of both grammar, and algebra, would not our counterparts, namely non-people of color, over-privileged?

So yeah, naturally, just based on principle, this has me majorly effed up. But I am more upset, because I’m fighting issues from those who are supposed to be the aspiring leaders of the tomorrow – the next doctors, lawyers, diplomats, hell, maybe even president! I am upset, but these people, these students, who are supposed to be opening their minds, are comfortable in ignorance. Let me be clear, I am not fighting people, I am fighting ideologies.

But when has someone ever chosen to oppress another human without a flawed ideology to back them up?

How I Got Here, Really

I refused to cast aside my opportunity to shout and to speak aloud. I take pride in my position as an advocate, and will not stop advocating, even when it feels like I'm not making any change.

Recently, a portion of our Student Government leaders were chastised for writing to the Kanas Board of Regents in opposition to some of the decisions and culture of our Administrative leaders. Me being me, wrote a letter, and went HAM. Likely, I was met with dirty comments, snide looks, and the ever so-welcoming Twitter fingers. It didn't phase me, at least not at first.

As each day passed, I felt less and less proud of my letter, and more like a failure. I couldn't help but think, "they just don't get it. They're not here. They don't see what I see. They aren't fighting what I am fighting". The people complaining are not the ones burdened and unrepresented. The students complaining aren't even in SGA, so why do they care?

These negative feelings brought me to the point of a decision: do I give up, or do I push through? Do I stir into the skid - and take the blows so that maybe, just maybe, we can graduate from an institution that fights for us to succeed? Do I move on with my life, focus on my GPA and my resume, and leave it all behind, or do I sacrifice appeasement from the masses, to try and make a path, for those who cannot make the path for themselves?

I decided not to make the path. I decided to be the path. I will not just build bridges, I will be the bridge, to connect underserved minorities and marginalized people to a better life.

I stir into the skid, by any means necessary.