ECS Student, Javier H. Hernandez, Pens Op-Ed

Affirmative Action Addresses Inequities 

Dr. Leticia Alvarez Gutiérrez teaches students how to apply theoretical concepts in her ECS 6820/7820: Juvenile (IN)Justice and Education course. As part of the course, Alvarez Gutiérrez requires assignments that "link theory with praxis and contextualize what young people are experiencing in schools/communities today in relation" to a variety of social justice issues. Such activities include writing op-eds, as two of her students, Hannah Blomgren and Javier H. Hernandez, recently did. 

Hernandez, a first-year master of education student in the Department of Education, Culture & Society applied what he learned in Alvarez Gutiérrez's class and penned an op-ed in the Salt Lake Tribune, Affirmative Action is the Way to Deal with America's Inequality Problem, where he details how Affirmative Action address the long, dark shadow of segregration, the effects of which are still felt today.  

Hernandez notes that "[s]ome say it is not a function of government to make all things equal," but that "same society has effectively made things unequal for a great many people, namely African Americans, Native Americans and a great number of so aggrieved communities," which means we have an obligation as a society, as a government, to address inequlaities.  

Hernandez was able to apply his classroom learning to a real-world problem, addressing readers of the SL Tribune with a well-thought out and supported argument. It makes the entire college proud to see our students engaging their communities so early in thier educational journey! 

Javier H. Hernandez