Policy Makers: Fight for Equality

 

   

     When we speak about social mobility, we can focus on income, jobs, and higher educational opportunities, but it is vital that we do not overlook the racial injustices that are involved in stimulating upward social mobility. Educational opportunities and upward mobility are not available to everyone equally (Schwartz & Brody, 2012). When we really break down social mobility to its core, we will find that race, social status, and parental education all play a part in how likely an individual is to find success in life (Stephens, Hamedani, & Destin, 2014). Statistically speaking, if you are a black American born into poverty, there is a 51% chance that you will remain in poverty and only a 3% chance of making it to the upper class (Brookings Institute, 2014). In contrast, white Americans have only a 23% chance of remaining in poverty and a 16% chance of making it to the top (Brookings Institute, 2014). According to the Center for American Progress’s report on Systemic Inequality, authors Hanks, Solomon, and Weller (2018) indicate that “the persistent racial wealth gap leaves African Americans in an economically precarious situation and creates a vicious cycle of economic struggle.” In our homes, jobs, and schools we so often talk about a society that is fair and just, but I wonder if we are really focusing on the end results or if we are just satisfying the issues presented in the here and now. Policymakers, people that we have elected to offices across the nation, you are capable of efficiency, but that is not enough. To be effective, we have to focus on the end and begin there (Covey, 2004). If this “American Dream” we’ve discussed in our culture is something that we genuinely believe in, we have to address the equal opportunity for all.   Policymakers across America, I am asking you to evaluate your leadership and ask yourself if equality and justice for all is what you are authentically fighting for.

                When discussing the promotion and advocacy of upward social mobility and racial equality, we have to start at the top. Educators and individuals alike can put motions in place to make schools and jobs more equal, but genuine change has to come from laws and policies. Politics can be controversial in its nature, but this is not an issue that should be debated. Our country has a long history of inequality and it will not go away on its own. Policymakers, when you take an oath to serve and defend, that encompasses Americans from all walks of life. I challenge you to ask yourself why you are in the position you are in. Is it to cultivate a more meaningful society, one that will make our children proud? If that is the case, we have to allow others from all walks of life and from all socioeconomic statuses the opportunity to thrive. We should challenge how schools are funded, as property taxes play a large role in this area. We should evaluate how resources are allocated to those in vulnerable populations and ensure that they can maximize their potential. We must ask the hard questions about how race plays into this and why are white Americans more advantaged? What can we do to foster a community and a nation that is essentially this “land of opportunity”  that we speak of and how can we do it equally? This is how we can walk together towards a peaceful society. If we keep our focus on a better end, then we can start at the beginning (Covey, 2004).

(Sawhill, Winship, and Grannis, 2012)

                Policy makers, I understand that it is not an easy time to be in politics. Our nation is more divided than ever and the stakes for your current role are extremely high. Leadership roles are never easy, but genuine leaders have the capacity to empathize with those they are leading, and they have the resources to be innovative and create real social change. Anyone can be taught to manage something, but valued leadership is about the individual and their ability to be self-aware and to think about those they are leading (Covey, 2004). Budgets and funding are hard, and it always comes down to money, but you were put in your position of power because you are capable. Social equality, justice, and the ability to move upward in society are priceless. Stimulating social mobility is complex and involves many factors, but with more people tackling this crisis together we can find a solution.

                Policy makers, I am asking that you fight for equality every day. Not just with words, but with actions. We have to come together and be partners in this advocacy for stimulating social mobility. One of the first steps we can take is to evaluate our public school’s funding. A mix of federal, state, and local money provides the school with the finances they need for each student, but property taxes – that which makes up most of the local money- are not the same across the country. Children born in poverty are more likely to attend schools that are not well-funded and in turn, they might not receive the fair education they deserve. The interactive map on this page allows you to see the discrepancies in our funding of education for counties across the U.S. We need policies in place that will ensure an equal opportunity for students from these vulnerable populations so that they can attend higher levels of education and have a chance to be whatever they desire. That is the real American dream. Finally, we have to acknowledge years of systemic racism and be innovative in our ideas to end it. Leadership begs us to look at ourselves and to identify what it is we care about the most and never cease in our efforts to achieve our goals and dreams. I hope that the policymakers in our country and people-driven, and in this, they can find the compassion and empathy to help grow a society that is utopian in its nature.

References

Brookings Institution. (2014, August 19). Is America Dreaming? Understanding Social Mobility [Video file]. Youtube. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2XFh_tD2RA&feature=youtu.be

Covey, S. R. (2004). The 7 habits of highly effective people: Restoring the character ethic. New York: Free Press.

Hanks, A., Solomon, D., & Weller, C. (2018, February 21). Systematic Inequality: How America's Structural Racism Helped Create the Black-White Wealth Gap. Center for American Progress. Retrieved from: https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/race/reports/2018/02/21/447051/systematic-inequality/

Schwartz, R. & Brody, B. (2012). ETS POLICY NOTES: News from the ETS Policy Information Center. ETS Policy Information Center Educational Testing Service. (20)3. 1-12. Retrieved from: https://www.ets.org/Media/Research/pdf/PICPNV20n3.pdf

Stephens, N. M., Hamedani, M. G., & Destin, M. (2014). Closing the Social-Class Achievement Gap. Psychological Science, 25(4), 943-953. doi:10.1177/0956797613518349

Media References

Brookings Institution. (2014, August 19). Is America Dreaming? Understanding Social Mobility [Video file]. Youtube. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2XFh_tD2RA&feature=youtu.be

Sawhill, I., Winship, S., & Grannis, K. (2012, September 20). Pathways to the Middle Class: Balancing Personal and Public Responsibilities [PDF]. Center on Children and Families at Brookings. Retrieved from: https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/0920-pathways-middle-class-sawhill-winship.pdf