"It takes a village to raise a child"
|
What exactly does this quote mean? Raising a child takes a whole village? Yes, it does. Essentially, the quote means that a regardless of the child's upbringing, they are shaped by their community and influenced by their environment. Whenever I hear the word 'community', this quote instantly pops into my mind because this is something I have been hearing every so often my whole life. I define the word community as a group of people living in a common space/neighborhood or can also be an entire population who owns a relatable identity to each other.
|
I consider myself to be a Black person from the North Omaha community. Having attended schools, volunteered and resided within this geographical area, I have experienced a different style of living than others and it has raised me. Without experiencing the downfalls and rises and striving to be the best leader that I can be, I probably would not be a college student. Others that I have befriended or acquainted with along my journey have ended up in jails and prisons, some even encountering death, and I could have easily been persuaded off the path that was created for me by God.
My peers, family members, and teachers all assisted with raising the young man from North Omaha into a great leader who idolizes Ted Turner. Through balancing three jobs and being a full-time student, I will continue striving to change the world through service and volunteerism, creating social businesses, and giving people chances to become something greater. My interpretation of life is knowing that it will be a rollercoaster but also keeping in mind that we are all not who we are at the lowest point in our lives. We all may fall or become very egotistical with our heads above the clouds, but we will all come back to earth and experience many changes - whether they may be positive or not. The support system that I had from the village that raised me helped me see early on at a very young age that tomorrow is never promised, but live today like it's not only your last, but somebody else's last day as well. If a person that is very close to you was told that they only had one week to live, you would make sure their week was filled with pure joy and gratification for the things they had in life. Why not give everyone that treatment day in and day out?
Civic engagement is defined by the New York Times as: working to make a difference in the civic life of our communities and developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make that difference; promoting the quality of life in a community, through both political and non-political processes. As a citizen of the United States, I feel as if it is our duty to vote at the local, state and national levels. The elections at these various levels are very important to our well-being because bills, acts, and laws effect our daily lives and will determine how we should navigate throughout our lives. I engage with society through the power of spreading knowledge. If I am to learn of valuable information that I am passionate about, but is also important for others to know, I do the following:
- Put information on my social medias for others to read.
- I do as much as I can with the time that is permitted in my schedule by communicating to others that they should use their right to vote, do as much research on candidates and events that are happening around the world, watch the news and read articles whenever they can.
What is the value in engaging in service?
There are many ways that service can benefit you in the professional and academic world. For one, you are collaborating with other people and growing a network if done properly. You are also making yourself familiar with different organizations and getting a grasp at what non-profit work may be like. Things like service activities are important to put on resumes because it shows that you care about the community you were raised in or that surrounds you and if you can care about an entire community, you are an important asset at any organization. Most businesses and organizations may have to service the community that they are in and would love to see a familiar face to that same community. For me, engaging in service makes me feel good inside, knowing that I attributed to a community and helped somebody for that day. Whether it's the small things like picking up trash or helping paint a building, any task can impact a community greatly. Any local impact is a global impact.
|
The success of a team vs. the success of just one
Earlier in the year, I would have said that the success of a team is way more important than that of one. Now, through deep thinking on the topic, I can say that it is very situational one the people involved, but one is not more important than the other. One person may have intentions of bringing their community with them in their success and a team may want to keep their success within a small ring of people. I know that in my case, my community is coming along with any success that I have. Referring to the quote at the top of this page, I have lived my life motivated by the idea of giving back to the community I am from once I am fortunate enough to do so. This is a common theme amongst minorities in America because of the systemic oppressive events in American history such as redlining, public policy, mass incarceration,
|
and etc. has dismantled many communities, it has
created a tighter bond within those affected communities. Many of those who are affected are rooted in their communities because everyone shares the same oppression and struggles, it is where they feel most comfortable at, and where their character was developed. |