Natalie Moore sharing her experiences as a journalist
Searching for Hope
In my studies and work experience, I have dedicated my life to public interest, working towards creating sustainable justice. At different moments of my life, that work has taken on different forms. For a summer it was advocating for survivors of rape in Chicago ERs; another year it was coaching basketball to young women; and sometimes it is simply challenging a way of thinking in daily conversation.
As a result of my passion, I have exposed myself to many ways in which the world is broken. Sometimes it feels like there is nowhere I can go, nothing I can say, nothing I can do, or wear or eat that doesn’t contribute to some system of oppression, in some way. And sometimes it feels as though it is impossible to overcome all the bad that is out there.
So when I am frustrated, I turn to books and experts. I am constantly searching, reading, and asking for a perspective that will give me some clarity, some new insight. And really, what I am looking for is hope. A hope and belief that all the work people do is not in vain and that life really can get better.
Recently, one of my favorite sources of hope has been Coffee Talks. Every week, the Civitas ChildLaw Center hosts a guest who speaks to their experience with children’s rights. The center brings in lawyers, journalists, activists, and even poets. So far we have had two speakers: Malcolm London, a poet, and Natalie Moore, a journalist.
Natalie Moore spoke about breaking through barriers and working with populations whom we might not share the same life experiences. How do we connect with people who grew up totally different from us and serve and meet their needs? As a journalist, she shared how she has to check her biases when reporting and interacting with the community. After her talk I was able to ask her how she keeps from being depleted. It is her job to go into communities and find problems, write about it, and then go to the next one. Her life is about discovering and exposing problem, after problem. Her answer was simple, but meaningful. Essentially, she said that is her part of the solution. She finds the problems and then someone else, such as lawyers or teachers or governments, is supposed to fix it. She was not saying that it is someone else’s problem. But, that she will do her job as best as she can with the hope and belief the next person in the solution will do the same.
Malcolm London performing poetry on his experience as a student in Chicago high schools.
Malcom London preformed some of his beautiful poetry about his experience in Chicago school systems. As a 20-year-old and being so close to childhood, his insights were impressive and extremely valuable. As a future advocate for children, his words are vital to understanding the complexities of the issues that plague Chicago education. He also shared with us his work on educating students on their rights and promoting creativity and arts for children. Another member of the audience, asked what he tells his students who are just so defeated and really feel like no matter what they do, they won’t find success. He greeted her with a smile and said he is a “hope kind of guy” and he just has to be that way. He takes the great effort to make that hope contagious. Malcom feels that people don’t want to plant seeds so that others will have trees in the future. He feels we are about getting as much as possible out of the tree right now. I could really relate because I am extremely impatient. If I plant a seed of hope, I want to see the giant tree of equality tomorrow. In reality, it is about growing a future not necessarily curing everything today.
So from these past two weeks I have combined their wisdom to view my place in this world of problems. I am one person and one part of the solution. I will do my part as best I can. I will plant my seed with dedication and compassion with hope and belief that the next person will nurture it and protect it. The next generation will watch it grow. Then finally one day we will have trees of justice and equality. I have to accept that I may never see that tree, but hope that it will happen.
Questions for Amie? Email law-admissions [at] luc [dot] edu with the subject “Ask Amie” and she will make sure to answer them.