Social Justice Warriors need to take a seat

                I can't stand people who cling to the tenets of social justice, but refuse to accept how  disconnected many of the claims and beliefs are from the actual populations they like to talk about. A prime example of this is when I see articles written from my Alma Mater describing education inequality and income inequality. They'll talk about we need to create self determination and need to take back important things such as language, agency and culture. How about we take back some food? Honestly, many of the people writing these pieces are so disconnected from the reality of things. They post studies, statistics and theories illuminating why they are right and everyone else is ignorant. I used to be one of them and one of the best decisions I ever made was to follow the convictions I believed in. So I put aside my contempt for the gentrifying force that was Teach For America and took advantage of the fact that someone was going to pay me to go home and teach kids from where I was from. And that's when I truly learned Social Justice because instead of being in the nice sterile environment of a college dorm room, I was confronted with people who had far more pressing needs. Rent, your job, taxes, food to eat, gang violence, these are things we rarely talk about when discussing the oppressive nature of "whiteness." And how am I to condemn my white co-workers who work side by side to help fight for our kids? They clearly are outsiders coming in, but they've taken their licks and earned their stripes. Stop it with the pretension.
        Well Raymond looks like you've sold out. No, I haven't. I still hold almost all of the beliefs I've learned in college about critical race, and gender theory to be true. I still believe the institutions that exist are oppressing our children. I've only learned how to articulate these things in a manner that doesn't reek of the ivory tower. I am not out there splitting theoretical hairs. I don't deal with gestures of what may be right and wrong. I don't think these endeavors are completely useless. I've just grown to take displeasure with what has become a mostly passive movement. I want my students to march with me and know what they're marching for. I want the parents in my community to feel like they don't need to read my blog to tell them about the movement because they are the movement.
       My message to social justice warriors out there is to try and remove yourself from your social justice bubble and begin to breath the regular air. Then tell me how easy it is to remain true to your beliefs. That's what I believe is the hardest part of the journey we call social justice. I'm just glad that I can go to bed at night knowing I do something that matters and have remained true to my beliefs.