Babyrachh On The Spot for Take Action Month: Income Inequality
The most effective way to hear back from our community is to go right up to our members and ask them for their opinion. Today, that is exactly what I did. Interested about Income Inequality, our Take Action topic for the month of February at the Center for Community Action & Research, I wanted to know what members of our community had to say about this topic.
In my own words, a form of income inequality is women getting paid less then men. Women are paid 77 cents to every dollar that a man makes. As a woman, this directly affects me and my pay rate. Fortunately, I attend a University that does not discriminate based on gender and I make the same rate as other males who hold my same positions, and have for the same amount of time as I. When I brought this fact up in a conversation with two sophomores, I was informed that it is in fact Hispanic women who are the lowest paid members of our society. More significantly, Hispanic or Latina women are paid 55 cents to every dollar that a man makes. Here is an example of Income Inequality that affects a part of our own community here on the Pleasantville campus; I’m not sure the exact statistic but I am a part of those Spanish women here at Pace.
In my opinion, promoting awareness is the most basic step to Taking Action and more needs to be done in order for change to be provoked. I had one conversation about what could be done and it was discussed that we cannot stop the inequality, but we can try to lower it. However, it is the “guys on top” who make the rules and have the power to provoke the change we are looking for. On the contrary, those who it directly affects are those who do not stand up and use their voice to address this concern, with great reason. Other students responded to this posing question with alarming answers. Why do those who are affected by income inequality do nothing about this unfairness? Students responded with different but reasonable answers. The most popular answers included the belief that nothing would be done, and if those who are negatively affected by the inequality did try to do something they would be thrown in jail.
So my question for myself, the CCAR, and my community here at Pace is why don’t we break these rules that treat a large population unfairly? What do we have to lose?
More importantly, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?
I’d also like to include that I in no way am shaming my own country. I am very patriotic and appreciative of the freedom I have to be able to discuss topics like these and argue them. #nobodysperfect #notevencountries
Thank you for reading this, and below are events hosted by CCAR regarding this topic, as well as more resources.
Rachel Aviles.
Student Projects Coordinator
Center for Community Action and Research
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Common Hour Conversations
Wednesday. February 12, 204. 12:10-1:10pm.
Conference Rooms C/D
Film Screening of “Income Inequality”
Wednesday. February 12, 2014. 630pm
Butcher Suite
