Philosophy of Social Justice
Raul's Philosophy
In all honesty, entering Social Justice High School as a freshman, I thought the school’s curriculum would be based around police laws and “lawyer stuff.” I knew that Infinity aimed students to gain math and technological based skills, World Language was about teaching students the importance of multiculturalism, and MAS was for the students who took an interest in the fine arts. It wasn’t until my junior year of high school that I finally had a realization of what Social Justice High School was about and what the real definition of social justice is. Even though I was taught the history of how the Little Village Lawndale High School Campus came to be, I wasn’t completely aware of the principles that it was built upon. It was my environmental science class that really opened my eyes. In this class, we participated in hands-on, lab investigations to apply scientific principles, concepts, and methods in order to better understand our natural systems and to critically think about environmental issues and possible solutions. We talked about various issues, mostly harmful aspects of human activity that affect people in the U.S and in other countries and the dangerous effects. This class prompted us to study a topic and to think about why this topic exists and how to find a beneficial solution. This made me think about how injustice, something so corrupt and powerful can lead to the destruction of ideas, beliefs, and people. I then connected this to how LVLHS campus was built. A group of parents asked the City of Chicago for a new neighborhood school in Little Village in the South Lawndale area. Prior to this, there had only been one neighborhood school, Farragut Career Academy High School. Parent’s requested another high school for two reasons: the high school was too far (other side of Little Village) and because of gang activity. The parents even went as far as going on a hunger strike to get the school that they deserved after their cries for help from the city were ignored.
Social justice has not been achieved yet mostly because of different beliefs. People everywhere are often faced with choices and unfortunately people can choose the wrong ones due to their beliefs. But since everyone has different beliefs, what’s really wrong and what’s really right? This is why social justice has not yet been achieved. The struggle for social justice is still alive today but has grown from very long times ago. In a historical context, there are many extraordinary examples of achieving some parts of social justice. Martin Luther King fighting to have African-Americans allowed to fight and Mahatma Gandhi freeing India from its oppression from the french are two of my favorites. There is still struggles today too. My sophomore year of high school started of with seniors starting a sit-in protest due to the firing of our principal and our new principal appointed by the CPS district to eliminate our AP classes and have more remedial English classes even though it was very unnecessary. But there is still social justice movements going around all over the nation and the globe, some situations more severe than others, but still fighting for the same goal.
I believe that to achieve social justice, we all have to unite in unity, one of the core values at my school. If we do not work together, we are not making any progress in the struggle. I am certain that people are opening their eyes and seeing that our time is really bad and hope that we can change that together. My fire is the fighting for the equality of people everywhere, particularly Mexican immigrants.
Edwin's Philosophy
When I first arrived to Little Village I thought Social Justice was just another ordinary school. But over the years my perception of SOJO shifted positively. Today social justice means to me a place where equality, justice, and love among each other exist. Teachers at SOJO express equality among students by never treating any student unfair and helping them with anything within their power. I’ve seen teachers staying after school for hours helping students with work, college stuff, or to talk about any problem, etc. Social Justice is not a very diverse ethnic school, but discrimination is not accepted in our school. The moment when I fully understood the words “social justice” happened in my sophomore year when the school board was firing teachers and cutting all of the AP classes. The upper class during that time led us because they knew what they were striving for and the justice they desired. I believe if I was a senior among them during that time I would have done the same thing. Social Justice is not just another CPS school, but a home to many.
Social Justice’s motto is “born out of a struggle and the struggle continues.” This quote exists because we haven’t entirely reached social justice. Social justice will never be truly achieved until everyone has equality in our world. In the world people are treated differently based on ethnicity, race, and their level of education. People all across the world struggle to sustain their lives because they barely have enough money to live in. I believe that everyone in our world needs to start carrying for each others well being by paying workers more and more people receiving some sort of education. For example; people in Honduras are very poor and do not have access to clean water in some cases. People in these countries literally are dehydrated. Education is for the rich because it’s not common for everyone to have the same opportunities. Injustice is not only a problem on our country, but also all throughout the world.
Injustice is seen every day in each individual’s life. Communities, for example, tend to struggle because they are exposed to hazardous chemicals. A couple of years ago, the Little Village community eliminated the power plant which was stationed in 34th and Pulaski. The plant released Co2, which is a very dangerous to a person’s health and the ecosystem. After endless protests and complaint letters to the city, they finally came to a conclusion and agreed to close the power plant. People who were apart of this showed me how to never give up on what I think is right. To pursue it until I accomplish what I desire. I believe that social justice will improve in the distant future because people won’t let themselves be controlled by a corrupted leader. If people continue to fight for social justice, than one day we can live in a green clean world.
From the day I first entered high school; I never thought I would have been part of a protest. I might have not had a huge contribution, but I went along with what the seniors had planned. I did have a reason in why I protested. I found out a couple of days ago that teachers were being fired, this made me furious and once I heard about the protest I decide to be involved in it. I am aware that high school taught me a great deal of how life in reality is and what we have to do in order to survive in this world. My role in the struggle is to “make a better life for myself and the people I love.” To continue my education and aid others who need aid (people struggling). Overall, I see myself as medicine in the struggle cycle, which is being cured a little bit more every time someone succeeds in life.
In all honesty, entering Social Justice High School as a freshman, I thought the school’s curriculum would be based around police laws and “lawyer stuff.” I knew that Infinity aimed students to gain math and technological based skills, World Language was about teaching students the importance of multiculturalism, and MAS was for the students who took an interest in the fine arts. It wasn’t until my junior year of high school that I finally had a realization of what Social Justice High School was about and what the real definition of social justice is. Even though I was taught the history of how the Little Village Lawndale High School Campus came to be, I wasn’t completely aware of the principles that it was built upon. It was my environmental science class that really opened my eyes. In this class, we participated in hands-on, lab investigations to apply scientific principles, concepts, and methods in order to better understand our natural systems and to critically think about environmental issues and possible solutions. We talked about various issues, mostly harmful aspects of human activity that affect people in the U.S and in other countries and the dangerous effects. This class prompted us to study a topic and to think about why this topic exists and how to find a beneficial solution. This made me think about how injustice, something so corrupt and powerful can lead to the destruction of ideas, beliefs, and people. I then connected this to how LVLHS campus was built. A group of parents asked the City of Chicago for a new neighborhood school in Little Village in the South Lawndale area. Prior to this, there had only been one neighborhood school, Farragut Career Academy High School. Parent’s requested another high school for two reasons: the high school was too far (other side of Little Village) and because of gang activity. The parents even went as far as going on a hunger strike to get the school that they deserved after their cries for help from the city were ignored.
Social justice has not been achieved yet mostly because of different beliefs. People everywhere are often faced with choices and unfortunately people can choose the wrong ones due to their beliefs. But since everyone has different beliefs, what’s really wrong and what’s really right? This is why social justice has not yet been achieved. The struggle for social justice is still alive today but has grown from very long times ago. In a historical context, there are many extraordinary examples of achieving some parts of social justice. Martin Luther King fighting to have African-Americans allowed to fight and Mahatma Gandhi freeing India from its oppression from the french are two of my favorites. There is still struggles today too. My sophomore year of high school started of with seniors starting a sit-in protest due to the firing of our principal and our new principal appointed by the CPS district to eliminate our AP classes and have more remedial English classes even though it was very unnecessary. But there is still social justice movements going around all over the nation and the globe, some situations more severe than others, but still fighting for the same goal.
I believe that to achieve social justice, we all have to unite in unity, one of the core values at my school. If we do not work together, we are not making any progress in the struggle. I am certain that people are opening their eyes and seeing that our time is really bad and hope that we can change that together. My fire is the fighting for the equality of people everywhere, particularly Mexican immigrants.
Edwin's Philosophy
When I first arrived to Little Village I thought Social Justice was just another ordinary school. But over the years my perception of SOJO shifted positively. Today social justice means to me a place where equality, justice, and love among each other exist. Teachers at SOJO express equality among students by never treating any student unfair and helping them with anything within their power. I’ve seen teachers staying after school for hours helping students with work, college stuff, or to talk about any problem, etc. Social Justice is not a very diverse ethnic school, but discrimination is not accepted in our school. The moment when I fully understood the words “social justice” happened in my sophomore year when the school board was firing teachers and cutting all of the AP classes. The upper class during that time led us because they knew what they were striving for and the justice they desired. I believe if I was a senior among them during that time I would have done the same thing. Social Justice is not just another CPS school, but a home to many.
Social Justice’s motto is “born out of a struggle and the struggle continues.” This quote exists because we haven’t entirely reached social justice. Social justice will never be truly achieved until everyone has equality in our world. In the world people are treated differently based on ethnicity, race, and their level of education. People all across the world struggle to sustain their lives because they barely have enough money to live in. I believe that everyone in our world needs to start carrying for each others well being by paying workers more and more people receiving some sort of education. For example; people in Honduras are very poor and do not have access to clean water in some cases. People in these countries literally are dehydrated. Education is for the rich because it’s not common for everyone to have the same opportunities. Injustice is not only a problem on our country, but also all throughout the world.
Injustice is seen every day in each individual’s life. Communities, for example, tend to struggle because they are exposed to hazardous chemicals. A couple of years ago, the Little Village community eliminated the power plant which was stationed in 34th and Pulaski. The plant released Co2, which is a very dangerous to a person’s health and the ecosystem. After endless protests and complaint letters to the city, they finally came to a conclusion and agreed to close the power plant. People who were apart of this showed me how to never give up on what I think is right. To pursue it until I accomplish what I desire. I believe that social justice will improve in the distant future because people won’t let themselves be controlled by a corrupted leader. If people continue to fight for social justice, than one day we can live in a green clean world.
From the day I first entered high school; I never thought I would have been part of a protest. I might have not had a huge contribution, but I went along with what the seniors had planned. I did have a reason in why I protested. I found out a couple of days ago that teachers were being fired, this made me furious and once I heard about the protest I decide to be involved in it. I am aware that high school taught me a great deal of how life in reality is and what we have to do in order to survive in this world. My role in the struggle is to “make a better life for myself and the people I love.” To continue my education and aid others who need aid (people struggling). Overall, I see myself as medicine in the struggle cycle, which is being cured a little bit more every time someone succeeds in life.