Personal Narrative: My Involvement With Social Activism

To learn is to not only gain knowledge and understanding of a given subject but to develop one's character, delve deeper when finding something new and experience life. When something is meaningful it has value and purpose, but above all, it draws a person to have a personal connection with it because they deeply align with its significance. Learning through meaningful service is supporting an important cause that a person finds they have a deep connection with ambition and passion while building one’s sense of community, motivation and social responsibility.

At St. John's University I will be studying sociology in order to further my involvement with social activism with the educational tools I need to make activism into my career. Learning through meaningful service will give me hands-on projects to further my experience and knowledge in the field of activism and justice. Activism in itself is a service and to be involved in

With his words “Charity is the Samaritan who pours oil on the wounds of the traveler who has been attacked. It is justice’s role to prevent the attack” he captured the essence of what social justice truly is. Ozanam was referencing The Parable of the Good Samaritan found in the book of Luke where a traveler received temporary aid after he was brutally attacked. The key word is “temporary” because that is the biggest difference between charity and social justice. Charity will temporarily ease a plight, but it is social justice that will erase the plight altogether. The Samaritan’s aid to the traveler was immediate and helpful but does not help to ensure that another attack will take place. Social justice gets to the root of the problem — although not immediate — and inspires change that is long-term such as requiring officers to strictly monitor the road to prevent further attacks. This is what Ozanam was expressing when he made this