Although my travel experience is limited, visiting Cuba offered me a lesson in power, privilege, and global inequities. While I enjoyed the comfort of a resort, I was aware that most Cuban citizens live in poverty, with limited access to basic resources and educational opportunities. Driving from the airport to the resort, I passed through the city, which was visibly impoverished. The sharp contrast between the tourist experience at the resort and the everyday realities of local people demonstrated the uneven distribution of wealth and access. This undoubtedly carries over to the education system, wherein those with privilege are granted access to premium education opportunities, which leads to better jobs and thus the cycle continues.
This experience sharpened my global awareness of inequities in education and beyond. Now, I aim to understand how the intersections of politics, policy and history disproportionately affect those with less power – and consequently how those systems of power remain in place. As educators, we have a responsibility to understand and respond to policies that create inequities in our local school communities.
