The 2017 Shari Prestemon Social Justice Interns have graciously agreed to share their experiences with all of us. From time to time, we’ll be posting ‘journal entries’ from Naiomi Gonzalez and Katy Morton. Below is one of these entries.
Why Back Bay Mission?
I am a perpetual student. (Fellow intern Katy is probably sick of me using that phrase to describe myself, but it is true.) I have a M.Div. from Brite Divinity School and am currently attending George Mason University in the hopes of earning an MA in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies. My academic interests center on the connection between terrorism and other forms of non-state violence, and state/institutional injustices. In the fall I will be applying to PhD programs in anthropology and history. On the surface, my academic interests appear to have nothing to do with Back Bay Mission. Moreover, although academia and social services are not necessarily at odds with one another, they are not necessarily interconnected either (except for degrees that are specifically geared towards the social service industry).
So why am I here? What purpose could I have in spending time at a nonprofit in Biloxi Mississippi that focuses on poverty and homelessness at the local level? Shouldn’t I be taking classes in the summer or interning at a think tank in DC that focuses specifically on terrorism? Interning at BBM seems to be random and out of place for someone with my interests. My professors and some of my classmates at George Mason University were definitely confused when I told them about my summer plans and I am sure some of the people I’ve met this past week have been wondering how I went from spending the school year studying terrorism to spending the summer focusing on homelessness and poverty. But I believe that this is where I need to be over the summer and that what I learn over the summer will only help me in my future endeavors. I am here because:
- Nonprofit work is an area I am interested in exploring. Of course, one possible career option is working in academia but the reality is that academia is undergoing major shifts and the opportunities available are not as abundant as they used to be. As a result, I believe it is necessary for me to have an open mind about potential career opportunities. While I have some nonprofit experience, BBM is providing me with an opportunity to spend an extended amount of time learning about the ins and outs of nonprofit work; the struggles and the successes.
- Moreover, the cliché of academia as the ‘ivory tower’ is simplistic, but it has a measure of truth to it. Focusing on large scale issues is important, but at least for me, academic work should propel social justice work forward. And the danger within academia is to become so involved in research and large scale issues that you forget about the people that you claim to want to help. And while there is something to be said about studying just for the sake of studying, in my mind, if my research doesn’t contribute, at least in a small way, to making the world a better place, I am wasting my time. Back Bay Mission is forcing me to step outside of my comfort zone of books and research and to talk with real human beings who are suffering and struggling.
- Many large scale issues are interconnected and while on the practical level it is necessary to separate them in order to tackle them, it is also important to remember that there aren’t always clear divisions separating issues that impact the most vulnerable. For instance, terrorism is a complex subject and there is no singular reason why some individuals join terrorist groups. Moreover, different terrorist groups might have different reasons for engaging in violence. However, in at least some cases poverty plays a role in allowing terrorist groups to gain recruits and to gain strong holds in certain areas. Additionally, western countries are scaling back on social services and beefing up their military presence in hopes of defeating terrorism. Not only is such an approach doomed to failure, but it risks hurting citizens in a deeper and more prolonged way. Al Qaeda and ISIS wish they could harm and kill as many citizens as poverty and homelessness does. Despite what the media says, it is important to recognize that terrorism in the west is relatively rare. Poverty and homelessness, however, are not.
- Graduate school is pretty solitary. I have great professors and classmates, and I am part of a fantastic campus Christian group. However, the majority of my time is not spent in the classroom but rather on my own doing research. Most of the time I love that, but even as an introvert there is such a thing as too much alone time. And when dealing with difficult subjects it is easy to feel hopeless and when one is isolated it is easy to feel as if no one else cares about the injustices going on. Being at BBM serves as a reminder that there are plenty of people who do care about helping others. And it is always helpful to have multiple people to turn to when dealing with a frustrating and at times, unjust world.
I have no doubt Back Bay Mission is where I am supposed to be right now.
…and the food is great.
It also doesn’t hurt to be near the beach…
