During my undergraduate education, I majored in history and minored in ethnic and racial studies. Through these disciplines I was consistently presented with, or made aware of, several discouraging situations: major world problems, institutionalized system flaws, inequalities, and the true complexities within some of these challenges. What compounded the weight of such issues were the seemingly endless flaws with attempted or proposed solutions.
This awareness process was eye-opening for someone such as myself; I realized that I was someone benefiting from my position of privilege simply by being a white, middle class, American. Needless to say, I definitely experienced (and admittedly still have the tendency toward) times of disenchantment. Awareness is a great process because it is the first step toward living in greater truth, however, if left alone it can foster cynicism that often leads to a sense of hopelessness; in the end this only adds to the perpetuation of such problems.
At the risk of sounding dualistic, I would say we each as individuals are either helping or hurting “the problem.” Cliché and overly simplistic? Perhaps. But, taken a step further, could have implications for how one lives their life. It takes a collective of individuals to make change. Broken down, that statement is “collective” + “individual”. You can control the one individual, you, as well as your actions and decisions. While you cannot control the collective, you can commit to the education of those individuals within your sphere of influence. Opinions and choices made are more powerful and influential when given from a posture of love, not anger and condescension. People tend to have an aversion toward being told something in a preachy, unsolicited manner, but showing has great potential for reception. Educating those you know and with whom you hold a respectful relationship is a lifestyle commitment that seizes opportunities as they arise and creates such moments of ”education through action” with great humility and love. Through this, you individually can create a collective (out of your influence sphere) that can make sustainable change.
What are some ways that have you “educated through action” informally or formally?
Kristen has a B.S. in history with a minor in ethnic and racial studies from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. She has worked as a fulfillment assistant at BeadforLife for a year and is currently a full-time graduate student at the University of Colorado at Boulder pursuing her Master’s in journalism.