HOW DO WE SEE (+ STUDY) YOUNG PEOPLE?

"Would Zora love herself through such a gaze?" It's easy to grow frustrated when trying to keep a class of 20+ kids in order. To teach them, tasked with shaping the minds of the future generation, helping them build the foundation for their academic road ahead. On top of that, you have a student who stands out, isn't like the rest in so many ways, and seems to want to do everything except what you need them to do. I understand the struggle that this might be like for a teacher trying to do their job. However, a key takeaway for me was the desire that society has put into place to make kids conform to society's rules at a young age, from making classroom rules at the beginning of their school years to putting kids into leadership roles such as being a line leader to illustrate power. Zora, attempting to find her place in the world, finds herself fighting against the world around her that is looking to control her and make her stick to the status quo. Zora's personality is one that I admire, and I was impacted (and started sobbing) when her teachers were discussing medication with her parents. Though I understand how it will help, and I am not against medication that is needed, the thought of her losing aspects of herself that make her bold, fearless, brave, and a challenge to what society deems "acceptable" was heartbreaking. Would the Zora that would form with her new lifestyle finally be acceptable? Will it be one that will make others want to hang out with her? Would she be more likable if she conformed to what others preferred? So often, we dim the light of others because we don't like the way they shine around us.

A key takeaway from the documentary Crip Camp was community and how having one can impact the trajectory of your life and what you can accomplish. Camp Jened helped instill confidence in their campers, which made them and others see them as more than their disability and ignited a flame in them to speak out and change the world for those with disabilities forever. They started a movement and used their voices to demand change instead of sitting by and watching life pass by while accepting the "norms," they challenged societal views and laws. It was such a powerful film to watch, seeing how organizations like the Black Panthers were ready and willing to help because they recognized that if one group suffers, we all suffer and the importance of helping one another create change.

Similarities among the two were the need to create an environment where people feel that they truly belong, are welcomed, and are accepted for who they are. How much more would we love and accept ourselves if we didn't ostracize people with different beliefs, lifestyles, abilities, personalities, and traits because they were different from ours? We need to use our voices to create safe spaces where inclusivity and equity reign. Both showed the struggle to find your space in the world and the need to fight against what tried to hold you back. In addition, both illustrated the beauty of finding a community that supports and loves you for who you are. As a society and people looking to work with others, we must break down barriers instead of enforcing them.