What is (or isn’t) Equal Opportunity
If you are taking the time to read this post then equal opportunity must be a topic that interests you. As many of you are aware this topic of equal opportunity is something that is controversially impacting the lives of many. I think people of today view our great country of America as a place where everyone can come and do whatever they dream of. However, I think it is important to take the time to identify what equal opportunity is. Equal opportunity is defined as a “Principle of non-discrimination which emphasizes that opportunities in education, employment, advancement, benefits and resource distribution, and other areas should be freely available to all citizens irrespective of their age, race, sex, religion, political association, ethnic origin, or any other individual or group characteristic unrelated to ability, performance, and qualification” [1]. After reading this definition I was able to immediately think of times when I witnessed discrimination in one of these ways. Can you? If you are like me then you can think of people who do not have it as easy as others. You can think of people who start from the lowest possible place and have to try much harder than others because not everyone starts out equally.
One example I can think of is equal opportunity in the school systems. Recently I read an article called Unequal Opportunity: Race and Education where the writer addressed some key concerns about the nature of inequality in the school systems. One thing he said that really stood out to me was: “In fact, the U.S. educational system is one of the most unequal in the industrialized world, and students routinely receive dramatically different learning opportunities based on their social status. In contrast to European and Asian nations that fund schools centrally and equally, the wealthiest 10 percent of U.S. school districts spend nearly 10 times more than the poorest 10 percent, and spending ratios of 3 to 1 are common within states. Despite stark differences in funding, teacher quality, curriculum, and class sizes, the prevailing view is that if students do not achieve, it is their own fault. If we are ever to get beyond the problem of the color line, we must confront and address these inequalities” [2]. I am uncertain about you but when I read that my heart is heavy for the poor. How could you consider this to be equal opportunity? How could you not see this as a problem and do something about it? Instead many people believe if the students fail, it is their fault. Think with me for a second, if you grew up in a poor family and pursued an education with low funding, teacher quality, resources and curriculum, do you think you will succeed? I know I don’t think I would.
So, if you could imagine having all of these challenges in your way I would imagine the thought of bettering oneself would be almost nonexistent. Luckily for us many of us do not have to face this type of situation, but for those who do, I can’t imagine the struggle. I can’t begin to imagine what it is like to struggle just to make ends meet every month. I can’t imagine what it is like to struggle just to put food on the table or to buy basic necessities that many of us take for granted each and every day (e.g., food, water, shelter). Many of us might know families like this, families who struggle daily to survive on a consistent basis. For me, I can think of a few friends of mine who find themselves in situations quite like this.
Another article I read recently was titled How Equal Is American Opportunity? In this article Brakkton Booker discussed the differences in pay and how it compares to the different races (e.g., African American). One statistic that stood out to me was equal opportunity for getting hired for a job where it stated “52% of whites believe the opportunity is equal whereas 76% of African-Americans believe it is unequal” [3]. These numbers stand out to me. Why would African- Americans believe the opportunity is unequal?
I recently discovered many African Americans feel they need to be “twice as good” if they want to be able to succeed [4]. I recently came across an article that discussed a little bit of the mindset of African Americans and why they really believe they need to be “twice as good” in order to succeed. For me, my first question is, “why do they feel they have to put more effort?” Is this because like I discussed earlier, the playing field isn’t equal? Perhaps! Gillian B. White believes the evidence suggests African Americans have a harder time keeping a job than Whites. He even goes on to say how black workers are seen to have less skill and are closely monitored because many companies are skeptical of blacks [4].
So, back to my original question what is (or isn’t) equal opportunity?
I believe above you will see a few examples of what ISN’T equal opportunity. However, I think it is important to address ways we CAN strive towards equal opportunity. Some things may include improving the sensitivity of differences amongst others different than ourselves. I read an article recently that discussed steps we can take to improve the playing field of equal opportunity. One thing that was mentioned was to “create recruitment and retention policies that simply do not discriminate against workers. This means when looking to hire people, it is important to avoid asking discriminating questions in interviews and to focus on hiring people who will make your company better, regardless of color [5]. Another way we can improve equal opportunity is to allow workers vacation days when they chose. In doing so, this will allow workers to be able to take time off whenever they desire and are able to celebrate holidays of their choosing [5]. By taking these steps I believe workers will begin to feel there is a more level playing field and equality could slowly begin to actually take a turn for the better in some instances.
In the Bible it speaks often about how we need to help one another who are not as well off as us. I immediately think of Acts 20:35 that states “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” When I read this verse I am reminded how it is more important to give to others because God has already given so much to us. Also, we are all created by God in His own image and because of this we are all one in Christ Jesus. There is no one of us that is any better off than the other and it is because of this we need to continue to love one another as Christ loves us. Although this is going to take much effort on all of our parts I believe we can help others less fortunate than ourselves. However, I believe those who are wealthier than others could and should be contributing more back into society. If you want to help make the playing field more even, try giving back to society.
As we know the equal opportunity is a toss-up that many of us struggle to transform. However, after reading my blog I hope many of you are challenged to reconsider the seriousness of equality and have a bit more awareness of what it looks like today.
Resources
http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/equal-opportunity.html [1]
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/unequal-opportunity-race-and-education/ [2]
http://woman.thenest.com/examples-equal-opportunities-within-workplace-21993.html [5]
