Explortaion Nine - Haley ClevelandBull

Exploration Nine – Of Your Own Design

Through the semester, I am most proud of my profile essay Priscilla Mead: Feminism and Legislature.  Due to the fact that it is much too long to post to the blog, I’ll share my beginning paragraph.

Prior to and throughout the early 1960’s a remarkable woman was defined, through society’s fallacious lens, as stated in the beginning of Mona Lisa Smile, a provocative period piece on feminism set in the 1950’s, “It is our duty, nay, our obligation to reclaim our place in the home, bearing the children that will carry our traditions into the future, [so that women may once again fulfill] the roles they were born to fill… [Remember] the only grade that matters is the one he gives you” (Mona Lisa Smile, 2003).  Today, a remarkable women is defined by her intelligence, achievements, and most importantly her integrity and character.  Though the battle of feminism is not over, women in the 21^st century are truly blessed to have the opportunities throughout their lives and to have access to the education that allows them to choose any career path they aspire to follow that will lead them to success.  Being an exceptional woman still takes much effort, but because of an aspiration, a discipline, and a successful endeavor it is possible to gain recognition and to become a remarkable woman due to the struggle and perseverance of strong women who paved the way before us; women like Priscilla Mead.

The reason I chose to share my opening paragraph is because it contains my thesis, which will undoubtedly give a quick understanding as to my essay topic.  What made essay one my favorite, and in my opinion, best piece of work from this semester is because it provided the opportunity to connect with an acquaintance, Priscilla Mead, who is a retired female politician.

As the world shifts toward new forms of energy, it is necessary to understand the ramifications it may cause.  A topic that I feel holds importance, as I have been researching it this semester, in today’s ever growing society is environmental racism.  At the most basic level, environmental racism is the placement of hazardous waste and dangerous technologies within or in proximity to socioeconomically oppressed populations.  There are many factors that play significant roles when discussing environmental racism, but the two that I will discuss is socioeconomic status, and environmental justice.  When you reference socioeconomic status in relation to environmental racism you are generally referring to those containing “lower socioeconomic status in terms of education, poverty, unemployment and of speaking a native language” (Huyser, Sakamoto, and Takei, 541-42).  Another factor that is significant when looking at environmental racism is the defining of environmental justice by the EPA which states: “that no socioeconomic group should bare a disproportionate share of the negative environmental consequences resulting from industrial, municipal, and commercial operations” (“The Principles of Environmental Justice”, 2).  It is pertinent to be aware that though each demographic group has their own statistics in socioeconomic status that each should bare equal amounts of the “negative environmental consequences” (“The Principles of Environmental Justice”).  Unfortunately, with an ever expanding population, and the need for new forms of energy, environmental racism is occurring around the globe, and those of a lesser socioeconomic status are baring an unequal share of hazardous energy waste.

This is an image depicting the core idea behind environmental racism.  It shows a young child sitting near a sign warning of hazardous chemicals.  It definitely evokes the viewers emotions in understanding that socioeconomic status and race should not decide whether we are or aren't exposed to dangerous chemical waste, or who has the right to breath fresh air and who does not.

 

Works Cited

 Huyser, Kimberly R., Arthur Sakamoto, and Isao Takei. "The Persistence of Racial Disadvantage: The Socioeconomic Attainments of Single-Race and Multi-Race Native Americans." Population Research and Policy Review 29.4 (2010): 541-68. Web.

"Principles of Environmental Justice." Principles of Environmental Justice. N.p., 24-27 Oct. 1991. Web. 08 Dec. 2014. http://www.ejnet.org/ej/principles.html.

Image Address: http://www.mindthesciencegap.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/girls_bodies_081010-thumb-640xauto-576.jpg