For the Disciplinary Committee • Independent
Analyzing the history of African Americans, it looks like the history of African Brazilians. I feel African Americans have more hope than African Brazilians. Not only hope, but the ability to win and attain their goals. I believe this is because they have more opportunities and unity. They know that if they don’t do anything for themselves, nobody will do it for them, but African Brazilians are somewhat discouraged, believing that the opportunities don’t exist for everyone. I’m from Brazil and I see and feel how slavery effects the African Brazilian these days, because the “liberation from slavery” was false. The slaves after liberation didn’t have help from the government and they had to fight to be alive, sometimes accepting working for food and housing, or turning to crime. There are many African Brazilians like me, who are trying to survive and hold on to our belief that anything is possible if one is focused, dedicated, and works hard to achieve their goal. The most important thing is not to allow anyone to destroy your dreams and to never give up.
One of the ways to get over these disadvantages is to get educated. Education is the first step to success. One can lose every material possession but if they have a degree in hand, they can build it all up again. Most immigrants are busy working and trying to stay afloat. People like me who want to study cannot afford the high costs of education while also taking care of their day to day needs. Scholarships are the key to changing the society. The more educated the society is, the more economically stable and strong the nation becomes. For disadvantaged immigrants like me without any fall back option, scholarships can make or break our lives. My dream is to someday have a degree and give back to the nation what it has given to me … a reason to hope!
In my journey as a middle aged, immigrant black woman, I realized that the system of racism is everywhere and the consequences of this is almost the same. My parents did a good job of breaking the cycle of intergenerational trauma. They always give me advice and told me their personal experiences. My father used to work in the same company for 35 years where he was a victim of racism several times, but he never gave up. He received a quality education and encourages me and my siblings to do the same. Sometimes I am faced with intergenerational problems, but now I know how to handle them and overcome them. Trauma is a long process of healing but is not impossible to be healed from it. I always educate myself and try to help others educate themselves too. The difference between African descendants and white people still exist. The wages for black people are different than they are for whites. Schools still have segregation and housing and neighborhoods do not have the same conditions as white people have, proving that the remnants of slavery still really exist in the present day.
When I knew the possibility to be part of the Disciplinary Committee, I felt so happy and honored. This environment is totally correlated with my major of Human Services. It is important that students believe in themselves and build a wonderful future.
