Equality. It’s a word we hear everywhere, all the time. We hear calls for equality every time another unarmed Black man is killed. Every time another family is separated at the border. The list of inhumane actions continues, and every time we call for...equality. But the issues plaguing American society cannot be solved by equality. Imagine an idealistic world where we suddenly made everyone equal and the law reflected that. You would consider it safe to assume that this would eradicate most issues that stem from inequality in America, right? No, it would not. And the reason for this is making everyone equal does not erase the inequality of the past. Just because some people have been given certain measures of equality now does not erase that everyone else had it from the beginning. We cannot simply give people equality and expect them to know what to do. What is needed instead, is equity. Equity would mean the proportional representation and resources needed for one to succeed based on how unequal the circumstances were previously.
An extremely relevant example of this could be the aftermath of the Civil Rights movement. At face value, it seemed that ALL people are finally equal. However, there had been 200 years of slavery on top of Jim Crow era laws. How could Black Americans be expected to succeed if they had been disproportionately pushed down for so long? They were starting from zero. Yet they were expected to catch up to 100 immediately? Without adequate support and resources, it is impossible for the have-nots to catch up to the haves, and this is true for every minority group throughout history.
It was due to this realization that I wanted to become involved in politics and set my sights on applying for internships such as NJLP. I firmly believe that the best way to change a flawed system is from the inside, so it is best to just gain as much experience as you can. NJLP allowed me the chance to gain that experience in the political field and I am extremely grateful. The New Jersey Leadership Program itself exemplifies the need for equity. When one considers the population of South Asian Americans to the number of South Asian legislators, it is clearly disproportionate. But through NJLP, South Asian youth like myself can gain more experience and hopefully be those legislators later in life.
Through NJLP’s Speakership Series I have got the opportunity to hear so many great people speak. One speaker who stuck out to me this past Saturday was Nadia Hussein. An advocate for racial justice, especially in terms of maternal healthcare, I once again was struck by the need for equity. While on paper it can be argued that all people in the US have the ability to get adequate healthcare, it clearly does not play out that way. Some people may not be able to afford it. Some people may be able to afford it but systemic racism affects their treatment. She spoke about this issue in depth and stressed that the main issue in terms of racial disparities in healthcare was access. Once again, it was predominantly people with less money who were more often than not people of color, unable to access healthcare. This was not to say that they were any less deserving, but simply that the system was biased against them. I want to eradicate these biased systems, and I believe equity is the way we can do that as Americans. The experiences I have gained as an NJLP fellow have only helped to confirm that for me and push me to pursue a career in politics and advocacy.