Equity Counts!
Dr. India White • July 28, 2021
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion for All!
Defined simply as the fairness or justice in the way people are treated, equity is the new norm we, as a society should be working towards. In this broken and crooked world we’ve inherited, not everyone is granted the same privileges. We all start off with different families and different advantages, raised in separate cultures and worldviews. Some are able to reap the benefits of their family’s wealth while others must fend for themselves. Some are able to experience a healthy emotional upbringing while others struggle with trust well into adulthood. Some can live their entire childhoods without knowing pain, while others must face discrimination and strife on a daily basis. The point is, we all lead and have led different lives in different places with different obstacles. Why then does our society operate as if we all started off the same?
Equity is the recognition of the fact that not all people start off in the same position in life, and therefore, we must make adjustments for those imbalances. This, as opposed to equality, which means providing the same to all, aims to give more to underprivileged and less to those more fortunate for the sake of true equal opportunity. Picture a tall wooden fence with three children trying to see a baseball game happening behind it. One is quite short, one is quite tall, and the other is in between. Currently, none of them can see over the fence, but luckily they found six boxes near them. The tall one only needs one box to see over, the middle, two, the shortest, three. In the name of equality, each child would receive two boxes, but ultimately, only two of them would be able to see the game. That’s not true equality. No, but with equity in mind, the shortest child would receive three boxes, the middle, two, and the tallest, one. In that way, all three would be able to see over the fence and watch the game. True equality. But beyond the metaphor, equity is really just about giving more help to those who need it. It is important to note that equity is not the pursuit of equal results. Although equity believes that all people should start out the same, it does not mean that all people will end up in the same place. The journey itself is up to the work and effort of the individual. The results then, would truly be theirs, and not born of their particular advantages or disadvantages.
Now, in theory, equity sounds great. But in reality, what would it really look like? I mean, the world is not actually as simple as a fence and a few kids. No, the world is far more complicated, but as long as we understand what equity really means, the real world applications are actually quite obvious. In education, a simple step towards equity is free preschool for all families. Preschool is a crucial step towards the educational success of children, and many parents are barred from providing their children this opportunity because of high costs. Unlike public schools, preschools are not paid for by the government. Doing so will take us one step closer to true educational equality for all. There is also equity for the disabled. This initiative would really be about accommodating special needs in as many or all buildings. Among the accommodations would be ramps and lifts for the disabled, information readers for the blind, visual signals for the hearing impaired, etc. There are many more examples of equity and with a cursory glance, it seems as though equity and equality are interchangeable. And in a sense, they are. However, it is important to remember that equity is the pursuit of true equality. It is the effort to give everyone an equal start, an equal opportunity, because we all know that life does not start us all off equally. It is a human effort, and it’s an effort we should push everyday. We can reach equity. It is possible. But, the struggle comes with convincing those in power to reallocate resources into equity. So go out and help your local organizations and promote the ideals of equity to your politicians. If it’s not equity, I don’t want it! And neither should you.
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🌸✨ Happy April, G.R.I.T. Family! ✨🌸 I’m so excited to share that my April Newsletter is officially LIVE! 🙌🏽📬 This month is filled with growth, gratitude, and powerful momentum, and I couldn’t wait to bring you along on the journey! 💫 🎉 Inside this month’s newsletter: ✨ A special feature with Ultimate Medical Academy and the impactful work we’re doing with universities to build G.R.I.T. in students and leaders 🎓 Celebrating a personal milestone; I’ve completed my Master’s in Christian Leadership! 🎤 Speaking engagements (including the Atlanta Math Conference 👀) 📚 Ways we’re continuing to support students and educators through the G.R.I.T. Framework This season is all about growth, purpose, and impact—and I’m more energized than ever to continue leading leaders nationwide and building strong character through G.R.I.T. 💪🏽🌱 💼 Let’s Partner! I’m currently booking: 🎤 Speaking engagements 📚 G.R.I.T. Academy tutoring 🎯 Consulting services for schools, districts, and universities If you’re ready to bring the G.R.I.T. Movement to your organization, let’s connect! 📩 indiawhiteconsulting@gmail.com Let’s keep growing. Let’s keep leading. Let’s stay G.R.I.T.T.Y.! 💥🔥📚 hashtag#DrIndiaWhite hashtag#GRITMovement hashtag#Leadership hashtag#Education hashtag#NewsletterLaunch hashtag#GrowthMindset hashtag#Resilience hashtag#ChristianLeadership hashtag#LetsGetGritty hashtag#nctm hashtag#ncsm hashtag#bwxme hashtag#n