Privileges of your Personal Narrative

So we save the best for last lol (just playing). Considering how this is the last formal blog for the semester I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to everyone for giving me that comfortable space to reflect/vent. 

Yesterday’s class was great for effectively reflecting upon your privileges, overprivilges, and underprivileges. Ironically, I attended an event yesterday with Common Justice at Borough Hall. The topic was about healing communities, specifically dealing with faith-based reentry programs for former prisoners and bringing awareness to the resources that are at their disposal such as Common Justice. In this conversation there was a section where we were discussing what we could do for young men of color in an attempt to prevent them from going to jail/prison. As I heard this intense dialogue I observed the room and realized that the very group we are discussing is absent in this conversation. I immediately reflected upon the conversation we had in class yesterday and recognized my privilege as being the young men of color who could provide valuable insight for this group. 

One amazing part of this conversation was when a Rabbi from an affluent synagogue in the Upper East Side asked how he could get his congregation in forums such as this. Immediately, one of the panelist stated that the narrative his congregation might have about black people needs to be altered. For his congregation not attending forums that involve the black community indicates either a lack of awareness, lack of compassion, or the belief that black people are just violent, and maybe it’s all of the above plus more. In order for that narrative to change they must hear about the injustices the black community face to explain the pain that is behind a community that is constantly oppressed, ostracized, and demonized. Thus, what was suggested was that a representative of Common Justice would facilitate a workshop at the synagogue that aims to bring awareness about the injustices of not only the black community but also the criminal justice system as a whole.

My goal is to contribute in any possible way I can to change that narrative for society as a whole. My questions to you are: Is there anything you have a single narrative about? If so, what is it? Are there any stereotypes/narratives you would like to expand upon and/or dispel? Why and how might you go about achieving that goal? Be sure to include your privileges and under-privileges and how that may help or hurt this objective.

Danielle Sered is the Director of Common Justice and I feel that she has a tremendous privilege by being a white female that advocates on behalf of the responsible and harmed parties especially considering how many people believe harmed parties are typically white females but in actuality they are young men of color. She has a very important role because she not only provides victim services and an alternative to incarceration for responsible parties, but she continuously dispels/expands the narrative about these parties, which is important for everyone. With that being said, is there anyone you know that has a privilege and can use that to their benefit to dispel/expand a narrative?

I apologize for the lengthy blog but I do look forward to your insight. Have a great and safe break everyone! Happy Thanksgiving!!! 

Advocacy and confusion.

Hi Verons. This wasn't planned and Professor Rose and Warerston don't know about this post (I apologize if I'm stepping out of bounds with this) but something just happened in my class that couldn't wait and I'd really want to hear from you guys (hence the reason why I didn't write this in my journal instead. 

I was in my class today and there's one student in front of me who has vocalized more than once that he hates black people. He's said this time and time again and my heart boiled each time but considering the fact that we were in class, I didn't want to be "disruptive" nor did I know where to start. We broke up into group work today and he is in a group next to me. We are constructing a play and he proceeds to say that he'd want the black girl to be raped in his play because he "hates black people" (the class is rape in a global perspective so rape and/or violence had to be incorporated). This classmate is black himself, and IDENTIFIES as black so part of me may have felt like he was either kidding and/or felt bad for him for feeling this way about his own race.... But this was my last straw. 

I left my group and turned directly to him and said "I just have to know. Do you hate me because I'm black?" I started our conversation off this way and he said "I don't even know you, so no." I said right. "So what is with this false generalization of an entire race.. That includes you?". He proceeds to say that he doesn't agree with the culture of violence, the "stupid things they do", blah blah. An Asian guy in his group comes in and says "I don't think it's the race he hates, but the culture".. The black guy comes back in the conversation and says "it's not like I will act upon my hate and kill black people or anything. It's like me not beleiving in God and not bashing an entire religion because of it" SO much was wrong with this conversation but for the sake of time. I'll just give you an example of how I tried to handle this.  

I decided to dissect each aspect of what he said was validating his hate. For instance: he said that black people do stupid things and are "always up to trouble". I tell him that this mentality is the reason why stop and frisk is such an issue. Unnecessary police brutality and excessive force. You believing that this is true is a continued part of the problem. It matters. You are an asset to the system. And if I sit here and listen to you say this.. So am I. 

I have two questions. Does it still matter that someone is a racist even if they don't act upon their hate? Is this an example of self hate because he hates his own race? Help me Verons help me. 

What made them?

Happy Weekend Verons,

Before getting started I want to send a deep appreciation to you all for feeling close enough to share with each other. I don't know about you guys but it was quite therapeutic using Bronfenbrenner's ecological framework for human development to put our own experiences into perceptive.  I believe analyzing through this framework will lead us to a more holistic understanding and so for this week I'm going to ask that you guys further incorporate this theory.

I'm going to ask that you guys think about the ways in which you can incorporate Bronfenbrenner's theory in your current placement. Whether that means understanding clients, the space, the reason why you your Vera spin-off even exists, etc. When mentioning clients it's better that we don't mention any identifiable traits or names for that matter; in order to keep confidentiality

I find that for myself it's easier to come at this from the chronosystem to microsystem. I'm placed at the Domestic Violence Legal Education and Advocacy Project, a part of the Urban Resource Institute. I believe that non-profits like my own exist with a greater time of social healing- a slow dying of patriarchal beliefs. In terms of a : one particular client started off their life in Southern American and flew to Canada to walked in America. They had dreams of a better life ended up working numerous odd jobs. At one of these odd jobs they met a person and the both of them began dating. Because of America's jaded immigration policies this client had little agency which left them in a relationship with a legal permanent  resident who used this client's fear of deportation as a way making the client feel helplessly trapped in an abuse relationship.

Macrosystem

In terms of cultural context the client is an undocumented person living in a country that sought to deport them despite the client clean criminal record and hard work ethic. America is also makes males feel as though they have power over women, so masculinity played a huge role in how the client interacted with her abuser.  The abuser would keep tabs on the client and get enraged when he wouldn't receive a status update, this reflects onto how prescriptions of masculinity makes some men feel like they have to dominate women. The couple are both of from Latin America and aren't full citizens because America is very discriminating and the ways in which people can gain citizenship thus limiting the opportunities  available to both of them.

Exosystem

The client received little aid in terms of social services because they feared they immigration status would conflict matters. The client often feared to go to the police for aid and would only go to the police when they were in immediate danger- when they feared for their life. There was little mention of other matters and I do not wish to problematically make assumptions around mass media because I'm not sure whether that the client internalized anything the media perpetuated or if they had access to media.

Mesosystem

There was also very little mention of other people outside of family involved in the clients life or interactions 

Microsystem

Before the client got into a relationship with their abuser they moved to America because their aunt was settled here and could provide shelter. The client has had 2 children with the abuser and the abuser has abused the client in front of said children. The abuser has also sexually abused the client on multiple occasions, forcing himself onto them without consent. The client has received little education and relies on under-the-table paying jobs for sustainability 

Private Sector meets Social Justice

Hello Veron Family,

This morning we had the pleasure of being toured around Harlem by Ron Moelis of L+M Development Partners as he showed us one of his mixed income housing developments. We got an interesting perspective and learned a great deal about rentals/affordable housing vs condos sold at market rate. He also discussed how aware he was on how his work impacts the community. L+M Development Partners' mission is not just about doing well, as far as profit margin, but also good. It is more common for developers to take the city up on its offer of tax exemptions and other perks only to produce 20% of affordable housing while the rest are at market rate to meet their bottom line. Ron's company was one of the first to take a balanced approach at 50/50. Affordable housing is a major issue in New York City worth tackling but there is also money to be made in the condo market. So with this double bottom line in mind, the company takes on highly profitable ventures and projects that may not be as profitable but have a great social impact. There are challenges that surface with this approach but organizations do have their limitations. One example he used was creating a number of affordable housing units on land provided by the city and having to host a lottery due to the large number of applicants. In cases like this, preference is often given to community residents to reduce the social injustice of displacement but it occurs nonetheless. Additionally, the community preference approach is being challenged as discriminatory by community outsiders who believe the practice is denying others from living in a community that already has an established demographic. Also, partnerships seemed to be a reoccurring theme in the business of development to achieve the goal of good work. Taking over NYCHA housing that was being poorly managed proved to be an opportunity. Residents were worried at first about the privatization of this project. However, realized the benefits after renovations and the creation of senior and community centers. Also, the work the developers do with local nonprofits (Street Squash).

I’m interested in what were your top three takeaways from this morning’s session?

Also, many students at John Jay have goals of landing a career in public service. More often than not it means a position in the non-profit or government sector. I challenge you all, similar to Ron, to explore for-profit companies and their missions. Which ones would you consider working for? In what capacity? How could this role impact the social justice issue you care about most?

Lastly, we all have spent a great deal of time at our respected agencies. We have a pretty good idea of how they operate, where they do a great job of performing and where they might need some improvement. Many organizations face obstacles preventing them from achieving their mission as effectively as they might want to. If you all were given the responsibility for using the resources of a social impact bond to improve your agencies, how much do you estimate it would take? Where would you allocate the money? Why?

Would you increase salaries to employees take their jobs more seriously? Upgrade office technology? Provide clients with certain resources? Start a new program within your agency? Etc

The “Problem” with Social Justice 

Hello, fellow Verons!

This week, Mr. Thomas Giovanni engaged us all in a deeply perceptive discourse as we toured the Manhattan Criminal Court. We had the chance to learn more about the criminal justice system in New York City by observing first-hand how arraignments are processed in courts and defendants are treated, as well as being informed on specific technicalities that affect the defendants and their families as they go through the system.

Among the many topics that came up during the day are the holistic treatment of the defendants, racial and economic disparity (between the population of the defendants and the prosecutors), and economic inequality (which pervades much of the process and outcome of legal proceedings). The last two are seen being the “elephant in the room.” Well, “elephants in the tent,” I’d rather say, as one of my professors tweaked the phrase.

 Furthermore, we were again made to realize that in a justice system that supposedly honors the culture of evidence and not on forcing confessions out of the defendants, one’s moral principle of integrity can become compromised when facing charges. To elaborate, it was the essence of the little “quiz” that Mr. Giovanni had us think about, whether you would confess your guilt to a crime that you know you did not commit in the face of two choices:

 • If you commit to preserving your moral integrity and plead not guilty, you risk yourself to facing the burden of proof and fighting your way through the legal proceeding while remaining in jail all the while (keep in mind the fact that you can not only lose your job, but your future prospects of employment becomes seriously affected), and;

• If you plead guilty, the tendency could be that you will serve a shorter sentence (or get ordered to attend some programs) and eventually get out jail on a much quicker pace.

As we can see, it becomes a lose-lose situation, an instance where we can say that a defendant is forced (due to having been a victim of structural violence) to choose between the lesser of two evils. Regardless, the defendant’s chances of getting a fair trial to prove innocence or guilt are significantly compromised. The way the system works then paints the people as both the suspects to blame and convict and the victims to admonish for feeling “victimhood.”

This way, we see how the system is flawed. Although it is not true for all times and situations, it appears as though the system exists to serve itself instead of the people. For young social justice advocates like us, the vision that we could effect a significant reform becomes somehow blurred and our hope can sometimes falter, given the seemingly formidable hurdles in the system/s we work in.

With these thoughts in mind, here are some questions I have for you:

Please remind us once again: what is the most significant social justice issue for you? With that issue in mind and the movement or efforts to combat it, identify one thing that you consider the most difficult obstacle to overcome within “the interlocking systems of injustice.” Put simply, what is it that sometimes challenges your belief that the reform/change you want to effect can eventually come into fruition? 

Considering that the question may be too broad, as an alternative, I suggest considering your experience at the agency of your respective placements thus far. As both observer and active participant in the agency, what have you seen and identified as being a factor that still makes it difficult for your clients overcome the problem that they have when they come to your agency? I ask these questions to help us look through the system we’re currently working with. What works? What doesn’t? What would you suggest as a move to help alleviate the problem that you see? 

I am of opinion that vigilance is the key to staying aware and focused on the causes that we rally ourselves behind.

With that little mental note, let us all do some detective work! I look forward to hearing what you think!

Intersectionality and Poverty

Hello Everyone!

In this weeks class you did a great job of really living a situation we see often, and you successfully portrayed the ideas and personas of the characters you were given. We discussed the ideas found in Oscar Lewis's The Culture of Poverty and Daniel Moynihan's The Tangle of Pathology, in The Negro Family: The Case For National Action and we were posed with the questions:

Is there really a culture of poverty that gets transmitted generationally and is inescapable?
How does society demonize the poor, specifically people of color living in poverty?
How does gender and gender identity play a role in poverty?

I was thinking about these three questions last night trying to come up with characteristics of poverty (and a good question to begin discussion) when I started thinking about my previous internship at the Center on LGBTQ studies. When I think poverty,  I tend to think of the stereotypical woman of color with three kids, or a two parent heteronormative family involved in drugs. It's not because I think these are the people that represent the poor, but because the media has led me to internalize images of what the poor are supposed to look like.

Relating back to my placement, these aren't the images of the poor in the narratives I am reading, or the research I and doing.

So my questions to you all is:
How do you think someone becomes trapped or predisposed to a cycle of poverty? Do you think gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation play a role in perpetuating poverty? How does this relate to the clients at your placements?   

Language is Powerful!

Hey everyone!  In today’s class, we discussed the issues raised in “Politics and the English Language” by George Orwell and “Imperialism of Language” by Ngūgĩ wa Thiong’o in relation to our own writing and experiences.  Some of the points that we made during our discussion include but are not limited to language as a tool of oppression, the loss of cultural identity through the imperialism of language, the importance of meaning, using lofty language to prove one’s own abilities, and language as a tool for labeling and divisiveness.  I think we can all agree that reading Orwell’s piece challenged us to become better writers.  What I liked most about his piece, however, is that Orwell doesn’t simply criticize others for their poor writing, but also provides tips and advice to improve one’s writing such as avoiding overly-used metaphors, using the active instead of the passive voice, etc.  From our discussion in class, it seems that many of us identify with the themes and points that Ngūgĩ includes in “Imperialism of Language”.  Some of our experiences with being forced to learn and speak English or feeling compelled to use fancy words to keep the status quo is an indication that the imperialistic elements of language still exist today.

Towards the end of his piece, Ngūgĩ notes the possibility for the emergence of a universal language.  He writes, “A language for the world!  A world of languages!  The two concepts are not mutually exclusive provided there is independence, equality, democracy, and peace among nations” (Ngūgĩ, 1993, p.40).  Because we already discussed elements of imperialism in our respective agencies and lives in general, my prompt is as follows:

What are the costs, benefits, and/or risks of having a world language?

 And in your opinion, what are some characteristics of a "good" world language?

In addition, because we didn’t have the time to talk about our visit to Vera last week, I think we should briefly mention what we thought about it.  (Which panelist spoke to you the most? What points or issues made during our visit resonate with you?)

Personally, I was most inspired by Ryan’s story about her trajectory and how she overcame adversity as a homeless teenager to obtain an education, and eventually, earn her PhD.  Although I have never experienced homelessness, I understand as an individual from a lower-middle class background the everyday struggles that arise from financial instability.  In addition, I was really captivated by Ryan’s point about how the negative/aggressive responses of corrections officers to defendants is the officer's own trauma being brought to the surface (maybe PTSD, etc.).  From spending time at Central Booking, I have observed the differences in the ways police and corrections officers treat defendants, and how corrections, generally, tends to be more aggressive.  As a result, Ryan’s perspective helped me understand possible reasons for the more aggressive behavior/responses of corrections officers.

Sources:

wa Thiong’o, N. (1993). "Imperialism of Language": English, a Language for the 
     World? In Moving the Centre (Studies in African Literature) (pp. 30-41). 

Orwell, G. (1946). Politics and the English Language.