Professor Sharon

100 Day Project – Day 49 – 8:32 pm

A few thoughts and moments occurred today that I’m thinking must be related somehow.  In one of my Education courses, the students were exploring the printing with various objects (process vs product) in creative experiences.  The topic came up of whether food should be used in the early childhood classroom as an art supply, such as printing with cut in half potatoes.  My own personal and professional belief is that food is food.  I know that many artists use food; but my argument is that those artists are adults.  Children see us use food, their parents see us use food and it’s my belief that I am sending a message that food is unimportant.  Access to food is a class issue, an access to equity social justice issue for me.

The other moment was a story I heard on NPR about Child Services in any states removing Native Children from their homes.  I was driving and at one point I heard that 33 children were removed from a village of only 1400 people.  The journalist told the story of trumped up charges against a mother whose four children were then removed from her home.  In fact, the charges were so trumped up, they never even charged her with anything.  I was speechless while listening to this story.  I rarely find it hard to drive while I listen to the radio, but this story really shocked me.  Access and equity to fair laws, to raise our children the way we wish, and to be told the truth.   Social justice issue through and through.

This doesn’t speak well to how I could tie them together; but I know in my heart they are tied together.  With the Occupy/99% movement attempting to take haold; I worry that noone in America is paying attention to the real true facts that not only do only 1% have the wealth; but I’m beginning to think that only 1% have access to equity and fair treatment.  That is what I’m thinking about tonight.