Speaker Series Integrative Essay

The Summer 2016 ECCE Speaker Series provided me with an opportunity to view 4 events that encompassed the central issues of being an engaged citizen, as defined by the University of Illinois, Springfield.   The first event I viewed was entitled, “What is Wrong with White Talk?”, by Alison Bailey. She presented the idea that due to innate white privilege, white people do not recognize the earlier and current sufferings of black people, and other minorities existing in today’s world.   Until white people accept that these prejudices are inherent in our culture, nothing will change and blacks will continue to be persecuted and suffer.   The second event was “From Capital Scholar to Capitol Hill: My Education in Violence Against Women Legislation”, by Kyle Simpson.   The main focus of this event discussed violence against women, the legislature’s role, what we can do as ordinary citizens, and specifically Kyle Simpson’s role in combatting it. The third event was “Our Turn to Lead: Paving the Way for A Resilient, Secure and Sustainable Future”, by Roger-Mark De Souza.   He discussed resiliency and sustainability as they pertain to our environment, resources, and world, and what we roles we can take to maintain them and what we can learn from prior generations and other cultures.   The fourth and final event was, “Is There Sex Trafficking in Illinois?”, by Jody Raphael.   Her discussion focused on the taboo notion of sex trafficking, particularly in Illinois.   She highlighted specific examples and testimonials of victims, customers, and traffickers.   While each topic of these events differed greatly on specific themes, a common thread arose that there is a great deal of the unknown about what is happening in the world in which we live.   Dr. De Souza’s concept silos applies not only to sustaining our environment, but to sustaining the world, by making it a place where each of us want to live, where all life is treated equally and with respect, and where the actions and beliefs...