Volume 1, Issue 4 November/ December 2021
Page 9
THE NECESSITY OF DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS WRITTEN BY TRAKEL PINKSTON (HE/HIM) We need to have difficult conversations. Without them, nothing gets solved. Society has a difficult time talking about issues that may cause discomfort and chose instead to sweep these problems under the rug. The truth of the matter is that these problems don't fade away and potentially worsen over time. We will never achieve solidarity this way. In fact, this style of engagement will only drift everyone further and further apart, damaging all chances of equity. For example, one of the conversations I find challenging is about equity in education. I am passionate about continuing to have this conversation because it is something that has affected me my entire life. Public education is often one-size-fits-all that can potentially damage a significant portion of students from kindergarten through their senior years. Not every student is not guaranteed to succeed and many require additional accommodations to assist their personal needs. However, those accommodations are not always ready or available due to staff shortages or cost. Further more, the majority of underresourced schools are located throughout under-resourced communities which means that unless a family can afford a specific living environment, the school-aged children in those families can't access additional resources those students might need to succeed. Mental health resources in K-12 schools are also either under-funded or non-existent. Many students struggle with simply surviving, let alone learning. Public education is meant to prepare people for the next phase of life be that college or another path, but some folx never make it past the first phase. I have suffered the loss of multiple fellow students from my age group, and I've experienced close calls with my friends and myself because mental health resources do not exist at the elementary, middle, and high school level. And no one is talking about it. Problems remain unsolved because these conversations are not happening. Policy-makers and those with authority make sweeping decisions that affect large populations before offering to listen to the folx in those populations. Granted, it's usually impossible to please everyone, but listening to other people - especially people who may not agree with you or have had the same life experiences as you have had - is a vital step in the direction of healing and real, lasting socioeconomic equity.
KEL HOMETOWN MAJOR
3 THINGS ABOUT ME
Clinton, Oklahoma Political Science
My favorite TV show is In The Heat of the Night from the '80s. I absolutely love competitive bingo with my grandparents. I'm constantly learning new things about my Indigenous heritage.
