Moreau First Experience Course 
Professor Pruitt
15 October 2021
The Power of Equality
I believe that people of color should have more representation in our society because as a black woman who has grown up with the media the lack of people who looked like me not only gave me a lost sense of self but took me longer to be educated, and I can say the same for others. Having that representation can shape a person of color’s story in a helpful way for them to succeed. Some things that hinder this from happening are the unrealistic standards of beauty and intelligence in our society being shown as only caucasians fitting this standard in the media, in magazines, and on social media. Therefore, I pride myself in always reposting the good in the people of color community, I tell the stories of black people before us to my brothers and commit to showing little kids books and tv shows that have people that look like them so they can believe that they can truly be who they set their minds to be. In week 7 of Moreau, I had the honor of listening to Chimamanda Adichie’s TED Talk “The danger of a single story” where she speaks on the different ways the lack of African and poor representation ruined her perception of life. She wrote stories about white people because she never saw Africans in literature, she believed her helper Fide wasn’t capable of being anything but poor, and her college roommate assumed the worst about her based on a preconceived notion of Africa. All of these examples are because both Adichie and her roommate were ignorant to situations that weren’t theirs. After all, they had never been exposed to them. (“The danger of a single story” by Chimamanda Adichie - Moreau FYE Week Seven) Likewise, week 5 touches on the importance of stories and how they too can shape our futures. According to Father Kevin Grove, “[ Moreau ] called an education, and I’ve never heard someone else use this formulation, an education, a work of the resurrection…. A work of life out of death.” (“Two Notre Dames: Your Holy Cross Education” by Father Kevin Grove - Moreau FYE Week Five) In this connection the importance of Moreau is shown and how it can positively affect the lives of students because we all share our stories and learn from them. 
I believe that protecting people of color, especially black people, even more especially people of color who are a part of the LGBTQ+ community. In this case, I have come to believe this because I have seen firsthand the effects that racism, homophobia, and discrimination have had on individuals, families, and communities. This belief is being challenged every day, from the police brutality crimes that have intensified since 2020 to hate crimes for those a part of the LGBTQ+ community. There are countless examples of safety being compromised because of one attribute that an individual holds. My actions in regards to this are speaking up, going to protest, signing petitions, and being an active voice in the community and the media. During week 6, I wrote a poem on “Where I’m From” in this piece I said, “where im from is a reflection of what i want to do. where im from is a reflection of what i plan to change...for the trayvon martins. the emmett tills. or any black man that just wanted to chill. for the eric garners. the botham jeans. or any black man that just wanted to eat his ice cream.” Here I have shown examples of people of color who have not been protected and suffered from it. According to George Ella Lyon, where I’m from can be “an important event could open into freewriting all the memories of that experience, then writing it as a scene, with description and dialogue. It's also possible to let the description become setting and directions and let the dialogue turn into a play.” (“Where I'm From" by George Ella Lyon - Moreau FYE Week Six) Showing that where I’m from can be a reflection of the things I want to change in the world. As a subtopic, I also strongly believe in the protection of women. Many evils have been formed against women, there has never been a just society but women were always inferior to men in every aspect. Protecting women is allowing them to move up in the workplace, make the same pay as men, and be seen as just as capable. There is also the definite of protecting women from rapists, from being catcalled, from rejection murders, from being taken advantage of at a party, and so many more threats that are brought to their lives. This can only happen when men no longer feel a sense of superiority over women, as long as that feeling of power is embedded in the minds of men the belief that they can do and say anything they want to women will forever continue. I work on this from a standpoint of a woman, with two younger brothers. I teach them to respect women, to understand that women are capable of thinking for themselves and that they never need to convince a woman to do anything. I want them to know that women are their equals, not their inferiors. 
Lastly, I believe that relationships are the foundations of a healthy, both mentally, and emotionally, life. Relationships with one’s self, relationships with others, and the relationship built with the reality around you. Usually, an individual will believe that they can survive on their own but that is completely untrue. Humans are relational beings, we need to create relationships with others, our environments, and ourselves to flourish. This influences me to work on stepping out of my comfort zone and creating relationships with others. Sometimes relationships aren’t always going to be perfect and happy, there will always be ones that are toxic and you learn from those how to acknowledge them and you learn your worth and what you accept for yourself. In week 4 of Moreau, we touched on relationships with others and how to address them healthily and be understanding of the signs of toxic ones. One quote that I believe was helpful was “Direct. Delegate. Distract.” (“It's On Us ND- The Three D's of Being an Active Bystander" - Moreau FYE Week Four)  If the relationship calls for it, be direct with the person and let them know that you no longer feel valued in the relationship and express that for your betterment as a person that you need to leave. If the relationship is not that approachable delegate, find someone that can help you successfully leave that relationship without further conflict. Or lastly, is highly toxic and abusive relationships, distract your partner to get out successfully and safely. Likewise in week 2, the relationship without self was explained by taking a VIA Character Strength survey. This survey allowed me to learned new what my strengths and weaknesses were without the bias of what I wanted them to be. According to the survey they intend to “Increase happiness and well-being. Find meaning and purpose. Boost relationships. Manage stress and health. Accomplish goals.” (“VIA Character Strengths Survey (VIA Adult Survey)” - Moreau FYE Week Two) This website allows for the deepening of understanding within yourself. Similarly, in week 3 we also built upon our self-knowledge. “When the light changes, what I can see changes. When my spiritual light changes, what I can see spiritually changes.” (​​“Faith Brings Light to a Dark World” by Professor David Fagerberg - Moreau FYE Week Three) After reading Prof. Fagerberg’s article I began to analyze how my perspective on a situation can affect the way I react to such situations. For example, “when the light changes, what I can see changes” showed me that in a new environment I see myself as less than what I am truly capable of. During my first week at Notre Dame, I questioned my presence, ‘was I smart enough’ ‘could I play soccer at such a high level’ ‘did I have what it takes to succeed’ ‘what would hold me back from being my best self.” All of these questions were thoughts that constantly roamed through my mind until the ‘light changed’ and I began to see myself as qualified because if I wasn’t then I wouldn't have gotten in, and that is the mindset I try to keep.  Lastly, during week 1, after reading the syllabus I found something that spoke to me, and it stated deepen your self-knowledge.” This quote spoke to me a lot differently than the others. I picked this one specific objective because it can be interpreted differently for each person. There is no one way of deepening your self-knowledge. However, for me, a lot of my life experiences have taught me to adapt to my surroundings to succeed, by fitting in. I never wanted to draw too much attention to myself but I am not the kind of person who hides in the shadows. Although I know myself and my values sometimes I lose sight of both of those very important attributes to fit in, in my new environment. This is also connected to “The Power of Vulnerability” by Brené Brown because in understanding who I am I have learned to be vulnerable with others in my journey to better myself and what I am capable of. (“The Power of Vulnerability” by Brené Brown - Moreau FYE Week One)