Community Education Guides Social Justice Reform
Social justice, or the equity of opportunity, resources, knowledge, and connections, is a concept completely achievable within any community, even in a city such as Milwaukee, which typically receives more recognition for its violence rather than the tremendous amount of peace and collaboration that exists.
Anyone committing a horrendous crime is likely only doing so because they feel that is their best available option in that current moment or situation. We must have compassion and awareness that many individuals come from living experiences that breed hostility, scarcity, violence, and lack; which leads to survival-based actions. By providing our city, youth, and adults with proper education, we can move into opportunities for advancement, shifting attention away from desperation and into abundance.
Our current public schools, and the majority of city charter schools, are a near-complete failure in supporting our youth towards personal and collective success, the progressive realization of a worthwhile dream or goal.
Education comes from a Latin root word which means to induce, draw out, or develop from within. As we bring true education, the development from within, into the lives of our youth and beyond, we rewrite reality into one that allows all people to maximize their God-given gifts and talents.
This process is as simple as connecting teenagers or young adults who are already experts in whatever it is the child wants to learn about for an 80-minute session once or twice per month. These conversations will guide the youth or learner toward the habits they must practice daily to replicate the success of the expert. Now the student can place their energy on positive progression rather than destructive detriment because they have a clear roadmap on how to bring their ideal reality to life.
There are multitudes of grassroots organizations, such as Safe and Sound, Win/Lose LLC, Riverwest Radio, African American Roundtable, Black Men Build, Nearby Nature, Neu-Life, Walnut Way, True Skool, Your Move MKE, Neighborhood House, Tricklebee Cafe, Sauce MKE, Heal the Hood, Unfinished Legacy, and dozens more, comprising thousands of individuals within Milwaukee, working daily towards prosperity for all people.
I’ve seen these organizations provide education through peace rallies, block parties, resource distribution (food, clothes, back-to-school supplies), open forums, training, community clean-ups, youth hiring, and more.
The key is putting our people in a position to believe their dreams and goals are possible because they completely are!
As we give people hope through opportunity, faith will develop along the journey, and everyone will work to create their paradise reality through productive thoughts and action.