Introduction to Jonny Miller’s Uneven Scenes
There’s a guy named Johnny Miller, and he has a body of work called Unequal Scenes, where he documents the distinct physical barriers between this wealth and this poverty. It is able to reveal the visible lines that divide our different economic stations.
And while these images are shocking and even chilling to know that they are all around you, it is the hidden barriers that are woven into our social fabric that are even more so because they are not just around you, but constantly affecting you. And where we see these hidden barriers, most are in one of America’s most valuable institutions, that of education.
Mary Elmy’s work: Elmy: Learning without boundaries
Multiracial group of businesspeople listening to a speaker during a conference event at convention center
My name is Mary Elmy and my project, Learning Without Limits, addresses the factors low-income students face when trying to complete higher education. It is well known that going to college leads to getting a degree, leads to higher paying jobs, leads to increased financial security And it is that financial security that you then pass on to your children.
But imagine starting with nothing. Unable to afford even the most basic necessities of life. Because of this, your chances of even starting a college experience are drastically reduced. And then, without a degree, and probably without financial security, you pass it on to your children and they are forced to face the same obstacles and limitations. And that creates a devastatingly cyclical trend of generational poverty, where you and the generations after you stay in the same spot.
The impact of economic inequalities on education
And it is this almost inevitable poverty that is created by limited access to education. This brings us to question the foundation of the United States, the American dream. Think what we hear it every day, right? The self-made man.
But in today’s economy, that idea is simply not feasible. Think of all the people who support you here alone every day your teachers, administration, faculty, staff, friends, family. But if you don’t have access to it, then this ideal of starting with nothing and working hard to end up with everything is simply not possible.
The American Dream and Access to Education
Back view of female student raising her hand to ask a question while having a class in a casual classroom.
stock
By limiting access to education, we limit access to the American dream. Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor, once said that the relevant question is not whether income and wealth inequality is good or bad. Is. At what point do these inequalities become so great that they pose a serious threat to our economy, our ideal of equal opportunity and our democracy? Equal opportunity is driven by equal education.
However, economic inequality creates learning environments that discriminate against the poor. And our economy, our equal opportunities and our democracy are threatened because of it. There are two main barriers that low-income students face when considering their journey to higher education.
Barriers to higher education for low-income students
The first of which is simply securing a place at college. And the second is to actually be able to afford the actual cost of college. But let’s talk about securing a spot in college, because it’s a lot harder for low-income students than we might imagine. There are places reserved in the elite universities of the United States and they are not meant for you. We like to think that the A’s we get, the test scores we work hard to achieve, and the extracurriculars we dedicate our lives to play an important role in getting us where we want to go.
However, this is simply not true, because it is undeniable that these elite universities, these irresistible golden ivory towers of education, reserve seats for the connected and privileged 1%. This one gold dot represents the top 1% of the United States, the highest income earners in America, whose average net worth is over $10 million. And of that, just 1%, 40% of that single dot attends these elite universities. Which means the acceptance rate for them is much higher than what is posted for you and me.
Securing a place at the College
But even worse than that fact is the truth of the matter that 38 of the most elite colleges in the United States, the ones you and I aspire to, admit more students from this 1% than the entire bottom 60% of the economic stations. Now, even if you can defy all these odds and overcome the obstacles and earn a place in higher education, there is still the problem of actually being able to afford it.
In fact, tuition only accounts for 20% of the costs associated with attending college. Only 20% books, supplies Transportation. Housing. Food. These prices only increase together with tuition fees. And because of this, low-income students are forced to take out loans or are forced to reduce their course load in order to then increase their work hours.
Accessibility of Higher Education
Tiered rows of desks and people in teens, 20s, and 30s smiling, talking, and using their portable devices. Property release attached.
stock
But in doing so, they not only jeopardize their education, they jeopardize their future financial security. And so with that, by limiting access to education for them, they can’t achieve what they need to advance their future economic status. Now, I hope you can hear the passion in my voice when I talk about this question because it’s on this chart.
Now, after two years of working on this project, it’s this graph that represents the biggest finding I’ve researched, which is the fact that financial aid, what you might think is the solution to this student problem low income, it just doesn’t work. It is simply insufficient, either it does not reach the people who need it most, or the financial assistance is not extensive enough to cover all the problems associated with someone on a limited income.
Last words
The most prominent citizens of the United States are those with the deepest pockets of one race and one gender. And that is the threat to our equal opportunity, and it is our job to ensure, through the restructuring of our education program, that the leaders of the future are those who are most suited. And we do this by equalizing education. Voltaire once said, with great power comes great responsibility. Our power is where we sit here and now. A private education rooted in moral values.
And it is our responsibility to use that education to inspire a universally accepted society where the learning environments that forge the keys to success are not dependent on monetary status Now, I told you it was Voltaire who said that quote, and perhaps better recognize it from Spider-Man’s uncle, which is fair, but we all know the quote by John Henry, Cardinal Newman, God will call me and I will hear the Lord hear the Lord’s call and I will use that call to make a change. very.