Social Justice Post

I attended "Healthy Kids Day 2010" at my local YMCA in Seekonk, Ma. The Newman Y is part of the Greater Providence YMCA district and I happen to belong to it. Last Saturday they ran an informational session about keeping kids healthy throughout their lives. There were all sorts of tables set up with pamphlets and information about everything and anything. I stopped by after going to the gym to check things out. I noticed a huge diverse crowd and tons of activities going on. I checked out each station and talked with the person who was running them. I asked what their station was about and what information was being passed on to the parents of the kids. The most relatable table to our class was the table on disabilities. I read over some of the pamphlets and was shocked at the similarities to the things we talked about. There was a pamphlet on schooling and the disabled which told a parent to fight for equality at school. There were all sorts of articles about learning disabilities and how to cope with and help your child through their young lives. I stayed at this table for a while reading and understanding the views of this particular group.

Along with the Healthy Kids Day, the YMCA put on a show that their dance camp created. The girls and boys danced for a large crowd a dance they had been working on since last summer. My sister works at the YMCA camp and sees the dance camp so she informed me of them. She gave me background on the kids and how they come from underprivileged parts of East Providence and Providence. She told me about some of their families and about how some grow up without a father or mother. After the show she introduced me to one of her favorite campers who just happens to not have a father. The boy is eight years old and as I approach him me smiles at my sister. When she introduced me he reached out to shake my hand and looked me in the eye and asked how I was doing. I was taken back by the greeting but smiled happily and said good. This reminded me of Delpit and teaching the rules and codes of power. Somewhere this kid without his father was taught to shake a persons hand and greet them. I thought this was fascinating and I wondered where he had learned this. I did not want to ask him and my sister said she did not know either. Here is this boy at eight years old, underprivileged and without a father in his life shaking my hand and asking me how I am doing. I was impressed by him just by that moment and spoke with him for a few minutes. Without knowledge he was using the rules and codes of power to gain my respect and acceptance right away.

Finally, I noticed a great deal of languages being spoken at the event. The pamphlets and papers were there in both English and Spanish but I also heard other languages being spoken as well. This just shows the population of the particular YMCA as being very diverse. I really enjoyed the event and was so happy that I stopped by to check it out. The YMCA is a great place to enjoy movement with a variety of different people. Healthy Kids Day 2010 was a great success and really a diverse event.