Pittsburgh Obama (The Barack Obama Academy of International Studies)
Senior? Yes
Elite top 100? Yes
Letters of recommendation: Letter of Recommendation 1, Letter of Recommendation 2
In today’s society, systems of exploitation are a common thread that has not yet been dispelled. This unwavering sense of persecution has victimized minorities and people of color in this nation for generations. For many years, they have been subject to economic, social, political, and educational inequalities – systems that have been manipulated before a new born babe even has the chance to take its first breath. With such institutions that have been created with the sole purpose to limit the potential of the ones who are deemed inferior, it is evident that the fight for freedom is at a constant threat of being oppressed by the ones who are deemed superior. However, Dr. King said, “Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” Such words are a proclamation that in order to dismantle these systems of exploitation to create justice for all mankind, it is crucial that minorities and people of color have a willingness to want to do more than just survive in this world, they must want to thrive as well.
When a minority or person of color makes the conscious decision that it is more important to thrive than survive, they understand that a life of survival is not really living. In order for true and absolute freedom to take place, one must realize that struggle is inevitable. By enduring and one day overcoming this struggle, justice is soon to emerge from the ashes. With the emergence of long overdue inalienable rights, it clearly paints the picture of the 400 year struggle for justice. Unfortunately, due to these systems of exploitation that are responsible for this on-going fight for freedom, people of color had to survive and battle: the Middle Passage, slavery, Jim Crow, segregation, the war on drugs, mass incarceration, racism. These hurdles on the path to the finish line have brought about people who have chosen to take up the mantle of those who have done the work of antiracism: abolitionists. Dr. King, one of the most well known abolitionists of the 20th century, was often guided by the idea of a “beloved community”, a society based on justice, equal opportunity, and the love of one’s fellow human beings. King realized he no longer wanted his people to survive, he wanted them to thrive.
From the example of Dr. King, I have learned the importance of his vision of finding a solution for thriving instead of surviving. Throughout my academic career, I began to understand that it is my duty to volunteer my time to encourage my fellow peers that the fight for freedom continues. As I pursue my endeavors in higher education, I will continue to find methods that will help lead and bring together like minded students of color in trying to remove all barriers to advance excellence locally, but most importantly, globally. A united, unapologetic, and liberated beloved community will be the solution to dismantling these systems of exploitation to create justice for all mankind.