By Katynja McCory
“Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a
punishment for crime … shall exist within the United
States.” So reads the 13th Amendment of the United States
Constitution. This is 21st century slavery ““ a century when
people continue to be denied their fundamental human rights.
The state of California has the highest incarceration rate in
the world. It incarcerates more people than South Africa, France or
Germany.
Many of those imprisoned are unjustly tried and implicated for
crimes they did not commit (note the LAPD scandal). Furthermore,
the majority of those so-called “crimes” are a direct
result of economic inequality. Bob Marley said it best: “Dem
belly full but we hungry.” Poor people are forced to steal
and sell drugs to provide for their families within a system that
has relegated them to a substandard and subservient position to
support its capitalist infrastructure. Eight of the top 10 penal
charges in California are nonviolent. People are sent to jail for
fraud, forgery and theft more often than for rape or murder. These
facts completely debunk the widespread myth that those jailed are
vicious and murderous criminals.
Prison is obviously big business for some corporations.
Victoria’s Secret profits from prison slave labor and KFC
largely invests in prison building schemes, just to name a couple.
Their perpetuation of, and dependence on, the prison industrial
complex/21st century slave system illustrates how institutional
racism and economic exploitation prevail in America. It is woven
into the very fabric of the clothes we wear and the food we
eat.
The question we must ask ourselves is, why is this happening and
how does it affect us as students? The answer is simple:
institutionalized racism. Racism permeates all facets of American
society and we as students cannot ignore it. Youth of color receive
inadequate education and are perpetually criminalized by
institutions such as the media and elected officials. This impedes
their ability to be academically competitive and achieve higher
education. California, in particular, prioritizes incarceration
over education.
The yearly salary for a prison guard with six years experience
is higher than that for a starting tenured UC professor. Moreover,
20 prisons were built in California over the past 15 years, as
opposed to one university. As both students at UCLA and citizens of
California, we must advocate that our educational experience not be
an elite privilege, but a human right available to all.
Simply look around you. The number of underrepresented students
of color at UCLA has dropped by more than 50 percent in just four
years, while the prison population continues to grow. Working class
people and people of color are denied proper health care, food,
education and employment. Many of us are denied inclusion in a
supposedly democratic nation where public office can only be bought
by the wealthy elite. Driven to economic “crimes” in
order to survive, many wear shackles instead of caps and gowns. We
all live in a nation where the haves are painfully demarcated by
the have-nots.
I am running for the position of USAC President with Praxis.
Praxis is the only multi-racial, multi-gender and multi-sexual
orientation coalition of students. It is the only group offering
concrete solutions to the interrelated campus and societal issues
that we cannot divorce ourselves from. Praxis believes in a
plurality of thoughts and ideas and in working with any student who
supports equal access, student empowerment, campus safety and
community awareness.
I am running because I care about student issues ““ not
divisive politics. I am not running to play a funding war or dirty
politics, but to aggressively confront issues that affect us all as
students and as members of a broader community of human beings.
Lastly, I am running with Praxis because of our unmatched
experience and proven results.
This year, for example, the Praxis-led council has funded the
most student groups in USAC history. Praxis student representatives
also helped achieve an increase in the maximum Pell Grant by $175
and a $500 rollback of tuition fees. Further, Praxis created and
extended the campus-wide Welcome Week, which familiarizes incoming
and returning students with campus organizations through
interaction and entertainment. If elected, I will be part of the
Praxis continuum of student-centered, student-empowered
activism.
Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel asserts: “We have learned
not to be neutral in times of crises, for neutrality always helps
the aggressor, never the victim. We have learned that silence is
never the answer.” Because of this, I as a member of Praxis
support these things: inclusion instead of exclusion, action
instead of reaction, results instead of rhetoric and leadership
instead of lies.
We cannot afford to remain placated by the fear and ignorance
that prevent us from confronting injustice together. We must
improve upon the past, and work toward a more cohesive and unitary
future. Each of us has the responsibility to get involved and help
actively confront educational disparity and socioeconomic
exploitation. So, do what is right. Support Praxis and make the
conscious decision to get more involved and make social justice a
reality.