Social Justice Personal Statement Examples

We have all sat through multiple history classes and learned about slavery, segregation, and the Civil War. We have all seen brutal movies and presentations based on racial injustices and the lack of equality. So often, we forget that these issues are still so present in our community. Slavery is illegal in the United States but other forms of racial profiling, insensitivity, and racism continue to be a recurring social barrier. Racism is still very much alive. The United States is “equal” yet somehow segregated. There isn’t quite a quick fix to this problem. Clearly, this has been an ongoing issue and requires major progression in our personal global

I am most passionate about intersectional activism addressing gendered racism against women of color. As a lower class, Ethiopian immigrant, black woman and a first generation college student, I live the injustice I seek to remedy. Intersectionality is a cornerstone of inclusive policy, yet there has been a systemic erasure of women of color in feminism throughout history, and systemic silencing of women in racial politics.

The topic of social justice was not always a passion of mine to pursue in life. Growing up in a small town it was always difficult to see the gaps in our society. It was not until I started working for a Christian nonprofit that helped change my philosophies. For the past three years, I have been working as a missionary with Destino; a Christian nonprofit that focuses on raising up a generation of Latino college students to go out and change the world wherever God has called them. Since moving out of my small town and into an urban environment I have been able to witness firsthand the struggles Latino college students face. The worries they face as an undocumented student paying their way through college because they do not qualify for financial aid. The problems within Latino culture and the importance of providing for their family rather than receiving a college degree. The difficulties of fighting racism as a minority student attending a majority culture university. These are only a handful of struggles my students face everyday living in Denver. Although working with Destino, I have learned the importance of being culturally aware and to continue fighting on to be a voice to others who are unable to

I began working for ABCD Head Start as a Family Advocate because I have always had a passion for social justice. This passion was what pushed me to work in an environment where I could commit myself to making meaningful change in people’s lives. It wasn't until I was pursuing my bachelor’s degree that this passion became fully realized. During the course of my education I took classes in sociology, such as Working for Social Justice, psychology and cultural studies, that provided a unique comprehension of the various issues that underprivileged people face. I learned the mechanics behind their oppression, as well as the key roles that non-profit institutions play behind eradicating them. It takes more than passion to be able to navigate the various systems that are complicit in poverty and those that are in place to help eradicate it. Thanks to my education I am now keenly aware of the intersectionality between socio-economic status, race and gender, and that acute understanding allows me to use my passion and the resources provided by ABCD to make lasting change.

I am Jazmin Orozco-Salcedo, and I am interested in the Bilingual Bookkeeper Position available at the Law Office of Robert L. Lewis, Immigrant Defense Group. I recently graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and an Italian Studies minor. I was born and raised in Oakland, California, a setting that exposed me to numerous social justice issues at a very young age. Being familiar with and often times a victim of the numerous social justice issues that plagued the community that raised me, I am extremely passionate about making a change to improve my community. Throughout the years, I have had numerous opportunities to work on addressing numerous social justice issues.

Throughout the past couple of weeks, the readings revolved around oppression. These readings have talked about oppression as being pervasive, restrictive, hierarchical, intentional, unintentional, institutionalized, and so much more. These examples show us how oppression is taking over our society, and it is going to take a lot for it to finally disappear. One way that individuals believe oppression can start to deteriorate is through the process of social justice. The end game of social justice is to make sure there is equality for everyone present in our society today. Yet, we know that having social justice present is a process that will not happen overnight. By breaking down and analyzing oppression, it could help many individuals understand

Throughout this course, I have always come back to the same idea: praxis. It was a difficult concept for me to initially understand. I blindly believed that those who are protesting and trying to bring about change are already educated. I had a blanket understanding of the idea of praxis, but it was not until we started the praxis assignment that it made sense. Going into it, I believed that what we were doing was truly intersectional; after all, we were providing transportation so more young girls could have access to Girls on the Run. But reflecting on my experience now that I have learned more about intersectionality, I look at this experience as only a starting point. I can now reflect on the fact that the program is only beginning to make efforts to become more intersectional and has a lot to improve upon. Once I applied the concepts from class to the work I was doing, I finally understood what praxis meant. I have learned that praxis is constantly evolving, and as it does, it is important to reevaluate the initial objective and make efforts to improve and expand it.

At the beginning of my freshman year, I joined the future educators’ club. I wanted to be a teacher, and after hearing about a full-ride scholarship to St. Francis that was being offered to members, I signed up. Although I was the youngest person in the club, and there were only about five of us, I continued attending. A few meetings passed, and I asked about the opportunity. This moment exposed me to the other side of the racial spectrum. Unfortunately, I was told that I was ineligible for the scholarship because I was Caucasian. In order to qualify, I had to be a minority. I suddenly realized that although there is a vast amount of racial injustice, there are also opportunities for minorities that are not offered to whites. Even though I might earn the same grades as someone of a different ethnicity, I was not given the chance to participate. In my mind, that doesn’t

Many of my life experiences have given me a glimpse of what it means to be in the margins of society. My family’s history of racism and poverty, my father’s physical disability, my experiences as a woman, and growing up in the diverse Bay Area with friends, mentors, coaches, and teachers from different backgrounds has opened my eyes to the disparities in society. When I was sixteen I had a particularly salient experience that awoke my heart and mind to the ideas of social justice. I was in Memphis, Tennessee for a basketball tournament and on our day off we went to the Civil Rights Museum, which was built around the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. We saw the counters from sit-ins, buses from the Freedom Ride, and learned about the systematic oppression of Jim Crow. I was confused by the hate and anger I saw but found myself clenching my fists with rage at the injustice of it all. Yet, what was even more powerful was sitting in the parking lot with my team and listening to our assistant coach, who was an African-American man, share his experiences of racism, how it shaped his identity, and his fears for his two sons. Our head coach then shared about her experiences as lesbian and the ways in which she was continually denied rights because of her sexual orientation.

My passion for social justice and accountably led me to pursue a career that involves law and public policy. I seek to learn how to analyze social problems and contribute meaningful solutions. As a Ronald E. McNair Scholar, I have begun working on this skill and would like to build on it and one day apply it in the real world. One of my current research projects as an undergraduate student at the University of Washington concerns the United States economic policies towards Argentina during the Dirty War and their impact on Latin America today. I want to know why certain policies were put in place and what those in power hoped to get out of the new laws. Another one of my research projects concerns changes to the Tigris River from the late 19th century to today. Through mapping software, I map major changes in the river that are due to economically and politically motivated policies. With this research I highlight changes in major dam projects, canals and irrigation projects as well as groups of people and tribes dislocated by changes to the river.

My proposed area of concentration for my Peace and Justice Studies major is Racial Empowerment and Community Development through Education and Policy. This concentration will focus on ways in which to provide support to minority communities through educational resources and policies. The foundation of my major will be AFR 213 - 01 Race Relations and Racial Inequality. In order to effectively work with disenfranchised and marginalized communities, I must have an adequate understanding of the systems and institutions that perpetuate the underdevelopment of minority communities in America. Thus, Race Relations and Racial Inequality will give me the historical context for why different racial groups live in under-resourced and underdeveloped communities, and how chronic poverty and institutionalized racism perpetuate such conditions.

I am interested in participating in this fellowship program because having an understanding public policy is key to initiate social reform. In my undergraduate career, I double-majored in Legal Studies and Sociology. I focused on social inequalities present in society and studied topics ranging from immigration to the criminal justice system and the workings of the Supreme Court. Through my volunteer and internship experiences, I found a passion for advocacy in Latino communities and immigrant rights. I realized that many of the issues Latino and immigrant communities face in the United States stem from policies that dictate funding and enact restrictions on health care, education, travel, social services, and employment.

As a student at Holy Cross, I have consistently worked in diverse, multicultural, and inclusive settings. As the senior advisor for a multicultural organization, MEChA de Holy Cross, I have worked to educate others and promote social justice issues on campus. During my first year, I participated in executing a campus -wide demonstration, bringing attention to the forty -three disappeared students of Ayotzinapa, México. In addition, as a part of MEChA, I have collaborated with other multicultural organizations on campus such as Latin American Student Organization, Pax Christi, and the Office of Multicultural Education. Such experiences in these inclusive settings have not only made me aware of social justice issues affecting marginalized communities,

During my time as an undergraduate, I majored in philosophy but intentionally selected courses that would further my knowledge on my range of interests in social justice and law. As I started to engage and learn about theories of intersectionality, social and structural inequalities and constructs, I grew angry at the world we have created for ourselves to live in. I understood that the injustices imposed on people at the dangerous intersections of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, race, and ability are frequent and widespread. The oppressive forces that have allowed for the creation of such injustices have not only routinely excluded and silenced the voices of many groups of people, but have destroyed countless lives.

Since my admission into the Morrill Scholars Program, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion has been continuously teaching me about all of the aspects that make up diversity, such as race, ability and socio-economic status. The showing and discussion of the movie “Cincinnati Goddamn” contributed toward my personal development by showing me the importance of embracing my race, as well as the responsibility I have toward seeking equality for all races. With events such as this one, I have gained a passion for speaking out against injustices toward minorities. The Office of Diversity and Inclusion has also contributed to my educational development by setting a GPA requirement that pushes me to do the best I can. It serves as a huge motivator in