This is the first post since 2019. Since then, I have completed a degree in social work and am 1/2 way through the Master of Education program. In the beginning, I said I would take a 6 month break but it turned into 5 1/2 years. The truth is that I had grown afraid of the visibility that my podcast and blog were bringing to me as I feared I was headed in the wrong direction. I wanted to gain the proper training to support the people that were sharing their most vulnerable stories. For 5 years I hosted a podcast and interviewed around 100 people who shared a story of overcoming life-altering challenges, illness, or accidents. Their stories inspired many people but I did not realize that the way I shared them to help others overcome their own obstacles was meritocratic and colorblind.
What is meritocracy? The University of Alberta wrote about this and you can read the full post [Here] but an excerpt that article drives the main point “What’s more, they believe hard work, education and ambition contribute to success far more than class background” (McMaster, G, 2023).
I have learned about the history in Canada of colonization of Indigenous people, and the impact it still has in inequities in every aspect of life. Over time, I will be adding posts to share in-depth and link in the articles and sources about what we need to understand about colorblindness and many other oppressions. Peggy McIntosh wrote an article about White privilege that is still as relevant today as it was then.
As I start to blog again, I will share the learning that I am doing and the journey that I am on in my own life of healing. This first post is an assignment – #3, for EDUC 5401 – Diversity: Constructing Social Realities and is an analysis of the movie on Netflix Lucca’s World. The movie shares the journey of a family to find healing for their son and touches on many of the learnings that I have received in my own education. It is important for families that are fighting systems and living with a child that has a disability. You can read the full post here: [https://ginajohnson.ca/luccas-world-analysis/].
References in APA Format
McMaster, G. (2023, Nov. 07). ‘Great Canadian class study’ reveals strong belief in meritocracy despite low mobility across generations. Universtiy of Alberta. https://www.ualberta.ca/en/folio/2023/11/great-canadian-class-study-reveals-strong-belief-in-meritocracy.html
McIntosh, P. (1989). “White privilege: unpacking the invisible knapsack” and “some notes for facilitators“. https://www.nationalseedproject.org/key-seed-texts/white-privilege-unpacking-the-invisible-knapsack