Reflecting on My Social Justice Major
When I arrived at Hamline University I did not know what I wanted to study so I took the route of declaring as an undecided business major. With this, I spent my first two years at Hamline taking at least two business courses per semester. I quickly realized that the course material in the business courses were not interesting to me and I struggled a lot. I knew what I was passionate about but I was unsure how to formulate it into an area of study. It was not until the fall semester of my sophomore year when I attended my sister’s graduation ceremony for completing her Master’s in Social Work that I realized I wanted to change majors. There was something about being in a space of students who were dedicated to helping those that have been marginalized. Their stories and ambitions all signalled back to making our society more just. I felt more comfortable in that space which was a significant factor for me deciding to switch. Coincidentally, that same semester I was taking Ethics and I found the course material to be far more interesting than any other course I had taken up until that point. Once I arrived back to campus, I scheduled a meeting with my advisor and told them about my experience, and they suggested for me to look into the Social Justice major at Hamline.
After taking the intro course to social justice, I started to understand the path I wanted to take in the major. My focus would be on race, power, and politics. This became my area of expertise as the foundation of my concentration would include courses that pertained to these topics. The course Race and Politics was an especially influential course for me to deepen my understanding of the different ways race and politics intersect in the United States and how that impacts everyone. The most interesting element of the course was learning about the misconception around the positive and linear relationship between progress and time; namely, that as time goes on, society becomes more just. This was debunked with the example of Wilmington, North Carolina in the 1890s, a city that had a fusionist government and economic opportunity for African Americans. However, in the present day, Wilmington (and other cities in North Carolina) have declined in terms of racial equity. Additional courses, such as Race/Racism/Racialization and Political Sociology, have further deepened my understanding of how race and politics impact other people of color.
Interning with Professor Jason Sole has been monumental in my progression through the Social Justice major. Working on projects related to social justice and criminal justice has been an exciting experience and has given me knowledge about social justice fields after graduation. My work with Jason on the Community Contract has been an especially rewarding, eye-opening, and impactful. It is designed to hold politicians accountable for their actions and also give the community that is being represented a chance to create the foundation of what their relationship with the politician will be like.
After graduation, I plan to intern with Urban Scholars and work in City Council Ward 8 with Andrea Jenkins. I expect the knowledge that I have gained from my coursework to help guide me through this internship and also after it. I am hopeful that I will be given the opportunity to work in a space where real transformative justice work is being done. I want to work with a group of people and leave a lasting impact on society that will hopefully help to make it more just for everyone.
