Educating For Justice- A Social Responsibility
Educating For Justice- A Social Responsibility
My memory of first encountering homelessness seems like a trivial moment in my childhood. It was brief with seemingly little significance, but I mentally replay it with vivid detail. That moment helped shaped my perception of society and my decision to do social work in urban areas.
When I was about six years old, my family walked out of restaurant after eating on our vacation. My mom carried a box of food with her back to the hotel. In the middle of the city square, stood a man with a cardboard sign. My mom walked up to the man and handed him the box, while my dad reached for money from his wallet. For the rest of the walk, I kept asking my parents “why” questions about the man. I didn’t understand why he was on the street, why he didn’t have a home, why he needed food, why he needed money, why we couldn’t just take him to the hotel with us if he didn’t have a place to stay. My parents probably don’t remember the conversation, but I recall that as a pivotal moment in my life. Since then, I have always questioned how inequalities affect the health of society and how people can actively engage to solve them.
“None of us can think we are exempt from concern for the poor and for social justice,” (EG 201) Pope Francis said, in one of his many justice-focused statements, about the Catholic Church’s responsibility to take action. His stance on social justice education has proliferated through the global Catholic community. His statements send a simple message: Don’t turn a blind eye, know that social justice issues exist and advocate for them.
What does being a “social justice advocate” necessarily mean? The title of advocacy can seem quite daunting; it indicates a sense of action and engagement in contemporary issues. Social justice advocacy does not only mean rallying and lobbying for a specific cause. It can mean something as simple as being aware of the language used to talk about inequalities. The pope is not calling Catholics to flood the streets with picket signs. He is asking us to know about the issues and have genuine concern for them.
As Catholic students, the opportunities to engage in social justice advocacy can be overwhelming. Volunteer options, forums, discussions and classes about social justice permeate college campuses. It is the responsibility of college Catholics to partake in all the provided opportunities and gain a holistic perspective on justice. The combination of action and thought creates the ability for people to experience inequality and then reflect intelligently on it. College students can delve into both active and reflective advocacy and use it to shape how they enter into their careers and adult life.
Justice education gives a voice to those who may not be able to be heard through social stratification. Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Catholic college students are called to pick up the weapon of knowledge and help change the world.
Take a class on a social issue or Catholic Social Teaching. Read a blog or a magazine about different places in the world. Talk to professors about what they see in society. Watch a documentary as a study break. Go to a forum discussion on something you don’t typically study. As young adults in the Catholic Church, we are called to use our time in college to help form our future as social justice advocates. Whether that entails a career path into ministry or social work, or learning how to be comfortable talking about uncomfortable issues, we need to acknowledge what is in the world around us. We are all called to know we have the ability to change the outcome.
Marisa Quiery, The College of Wooster