The Fight Isn't Over, It's Time for a Change

       In my introduction, I shared my passion for making a difference over making a dollar. I also expanded on my personal interests and hopes for my future in the field of social work. Now I would like to share a little bit about an amazing opportunity I have encountered as a young social work student. I am fortunate to be serving as a 2015-2016 Student Ambassador for the Student Advisory Council (SAC) of the Congressional Research Institute for Social Work and Policy (CRISP) based in Washington D.C. The SAC is more commonly referred to on social media as #YSocialWork. According to its mission statement found on CRISP’s website, as an SAC Student Ambassador I will be engaging in an “…8-month policy and leadership development program [which] provides students with opportunities to learn more about federal legislative and policy processes, the inner working of Congress, and public policy.” One component of the program is monthly conference calls. Our first call focused on a discussion of voting and political engagement. We discussed the importance of voter participation and disparities in voter turnout. As an Alabamian, I had much to add to the conversation.
       Alabama (and the south in general) has a very long, and very public, history of minority oppression. The Civil Rights Movement took center stage in Alabama in the 1950s and 60s. Many notable events from the Movement took place in Birmingham, Montgomery, and Selma. Most people have heard of Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. Not as many people, however, have heard of Herbert Lee or Viola Liuzzo. Mr. Lee was an African-American man who was killed in 1961 because he was helping blacks register to vote. Members of the Ku Klux Klan killed Mrs. Liuzzo for giving a ride to men who had been marching in Selma. I learned of these two individuals and their courage on a recent trip to the Civil Rights Memorial at the Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Alabama. I also learned about many other brave individuals who lost their lives because they believed it was time to stand up for their rights. As a result of many great efforts made by countless individuals, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA) was passed and voting was supposed to become an equal opportunity for all. Unfortunately, as was discussed in our #YSocialWork conference call, the equality that Act stood for, does not stand firm today. The ruling in the Supreme Court Case, Shelby County v. Holder, overturned a portion of the VRA. The ruling allowed states to revert to discriminating policies like requiring a valid photo I.D. to vote. Alabama recently closed many of its Department of Motor Vehicles. Although they were closed for budgetary reasons, the closing conveniently correlated to areas of poverty and minority. Many have argued this to be an intentional discriminatory practice intended to keep the impoverished and people of color (historically progressive voters) from having access to the polls. I am not here to make a judgment call on that specific matter, but rather to claim that the fight for civil rights, voting rights, and social justice that began so long ago is still not over.
       I also want to note here, that voter discrimination is not the only way that minority oppression still occurs today. Another form of oppression that needs bringing to light is discrimination in our criminal justice system. While in Montgomery, I also had the opportunity to visit the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI). I learned about the incredible services the EJI team members provide to people in need. One major focus of theirs is fighting for the release of juveniles in the criminal justice system who were sentenced to life without parole. They also fight for the rights of adults who were incarcerated as the result of unfair or unequal treatment. EJI has been able to free innocent individuals, juveniles who deserve a chance at rehabilitation, and many other people who have been victims of bias and discrimination. Many of the people served by EJI face discrimination due to their inability to afford adequate counsel. Also, statistics show that people of color are disproportionately incarcerated at alarming rates. This means that EJI is also continuing a modern day fight for Civil Rights. The gross injustice faced by the individuals who EJI serves is just as disheartening as the issue of voter discrimination we discussed in our first #YSocialWork conference call. It is up to organizations like EJI and millennial social workers like myself to speak out about these injustices and advocate for change.
       I look forward to being able to discuss issues like these, and other matters of concern, with my fellow Student Ambassadors. I also hope to be able to engage in discussion and advocacy on these topics with all of my fellow Generation Y social workers. Ignoring these problems will not make them go away. We need to get more people speaking out against injustice and speaking up for change! #YSocialWork.