What is Social Justice? Social injustices have microscopic to global effects on humanity and how to use critical scientific knowledge to create emancipatory solutions. This knowledge is critical in that it deals with locating inconsistencies and contradictions on an economic, political, social and cultural level in a “democracy”. In AP Chemistry, we used broad topics like “Molecular Structure” to discuss street drugs vs. pharmaceutical drugs in connections to a person’s power of choice and exploitation. Pharmaceutical companies put profit over people by engineering a generic and brand name drug and target sick communities to make as much money as possible despite both drugs being chemically identical. This made me think of my parents who do not have a choice; they need pharmaceutical drugs in order to live. They are not patients; they’re business clients! As a result of the past four years at Social Justice high school, I understand the connection between illness and power. My critical world view has transformed into a scientific responsibility to gain the necessary knowledge to help poor communities that have been oppressed by not having access to a quality education and healthier food.
What obstacles do we face while struggling to achieve social justice? We never think about the history of food. I learned that many of the food Black and Mexican communities eat have a direct connection to slavery and oppression. Both of these communities have been brought up eating the scraps of the pig and cow. Our communities were forced to be creative to make these foods edible. However, eating a lot of these food sand in the way we prepare them can be very harmful to our bodies and the bodies of our future generations. Complex problems deserve solutions that acknowledge the complex nature of the problems in order to change them. What is your vision for struggle? Growing up in my home, I have seen the direct effects of having 2 parents battling diabetes but are not good at adjusting the cooking and eating habits if the home because of the cultural connection to our food. Also, we are unwilling to accept that we sometimes need to challenge our own cultural traditions especially the ones that are not healthy. Like my family, there are many families that share similar stories of how they are deprived of healthy food or are simply not conscious of the things they consume. After witnessing my family controlled by medication for the last 18 years, my passion for chemistry and social justice kindled my desire to pursue a career as a critical pharmacist so I can facilitate the safe distribution of drugs and educate the community about their prescriptions. As a long term goal, this career will afford me the ability, to establish a non-profit health education program to educate marginalized communities about nutrition and access to healthier food. What is your role in the struggle? After I complete Pharmacy School, I want to use my knowledge of chemistry, health care, and social justice to establish a non-profit organization in that provides health education to marginalized communities and provides them with tangible solutions for them to maintain and create new healthy cultural traditions. My non-profit will provide food health classes to educate our community about culture, access to food, health education, and cooking courses through a social justice perspective. From my experience at Social Justice High School, I know that the health of communities is connected to larger issues of poverty, food justice, health care reform, and capitalism. I not only want to teach people about these issues but I want to provide them with the skills to come up with new alternatives. Equally important, I want to empower community members with a sense of activism to challenge the institutions that keep our communities sick.
The image shows the type of diet that people with Diabetes should have. It is important to understand the lifestyles that one has in order to alter them. Once, one's diet is latered for the better it can safe their life.
After the change in diet, it is idela that America will be a Diabetes free zone. There are many other factors that contribute to the illness of Diabetes but it takes one step at a time. Also, it is my vision to see people with less Diabetes due to prevention.