In this special section of the Crescent Magazine, we present impassioned letters from students at the University of Evansville who are actively engaging with pressing social issues in our society. These letters, directed to influential leaders and institutions, articulate deeply held beliefs and advocate for changes that could reshape our communities. Through their words, these students not only challenge the status quo but also inspire others to join them in their pursuit of justice, equality, and human rights.
The following letters reflect the courage and conviction of individuals who are not just passive observers but active participants in the fight for a equitable and more just world.
Dear Senator Young,
I am writing this letter to express my deepest concerns regarding the U.S. government’s involvement in women’s reproductive rights. As a female citizen, I am deeply committed to social justice and equality. I believe that every individual should have the autonomy to make decisions about their own body and reproductive health without interference or restriction from the government. I urge Indiana to reconsider the placement of the abortion ban and to lift it so that women may get access to the health care that they need.
Research shows that the banning of abortion does not decrease the number of abortions that occur but simply forces women to risk their lives and overall wellbeing by seeking unsafe abortion care. This ban also greatly adds to the stress of those who seek an abortion and can have a significantly negative impact on their mental health. According to the World Health Organization, 23,000 women die from unsafe abortions each year and tens of thousands more experience significant health complications globally. Furthermore, research shows that restricted access to abortion is linked with negative social and health-related outcomes for pregnant women and can ultimately result in harmful birth outcomes such as: denial of emergency care in life-threatening situations, increased rates of preterm births, and infant and maternal mortality. Imposing restrictions or limitations on access to abortion through reproductive health care services in Indiana is undermining women’s rights to make informed choices about their own bodies and lives.
Through interfering with a woman’s reproductive rights, Indiana is perpetuating systemic inequality and reinforcing patriarchal structures that seek to ultimately control and regulate women’s bodies. This violates the fundamental human rights principle as well as preserving a cycle of oppression and discrimination. It is imperative that Indiana respects and chooses to uphold woman’s reproductive rights as a fundamental human right. This would include ensuring access to intensive and thorough reproductive health care services such as contraception, abortions, and maternal care without discrimination or barriers. I urge you to take immediate action to protect and uphold women’s reproductive rights by advocating for political policies that promote gender equality, bodily autonomy, and social justice. Therefore, I highly encourage you to support legislation that is for women and allows for the removal of the abortion ban. Thank you for your attention to this important issue. I hope to see positive steps towards achieving reproductive justice and equity for the women of Indiana and ultimately nationwide.
Stephanie Daugherty
Dear Members of the State Board of Education,
I am writing to request your support for the protection of minority individuals’ rights to don their natural hair and culturally significant hairstyles in educational institutions. Although the State of Indiana has recently passed the H.R. 5309 Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act to prohibit discrimination on the basis of natural hair, there are still means by which the protection of these rights can be enhanced and sustained for individuals of different racial backgrounds. This can be initiated by calling for a careful revision of the state’s educational institutions’ policies and dress codes, with the aim of correcting outdated dress codes to reflect the passing of the CROWN Act and the ideal that hair-based discrimination of any student donning their natural hair is intolerable.
Children and young adults in K-12 school systems who don natural hair and culturally significant hairstyles are often faced with harassment and bullying, discrimination, microaggressions, and demands to modify their hair so it will adhere more closely to Eurocentric hair standards. Some of these discriminatory practices go unnoticed and, therefore, unchanged. Without a federal passing of the CROWN Act, it is possible that statewide institutions may not recognize the merit of such an act being passed at the state level, therefore neglecting to revise dress codes and other policies accordingly. The Act may not be seen as enforceable, and loopholes are being found.
Anecdotes shared by those reflecting on their childhood experiences demonstrate the profound effect of such discrimination taking place in the school system, contributing to some students experiencing trauma when forced to change their hair or when harassed by peers. Because natural hair is not encouraged in school settings, many children who choose to don their natural hair or a culturally significant hairstyle face physical harassment from their peers, including other students pulling their hair to inflict pain or cutting braids/locs/knots/etc. Being forced to conform to Eurocentric hair standards can cause significant distress and threaten the student’s identity, cultural values, religion, or community norms. Self-image is heavily impacted by hair presentation, especially among individuals who place high cultural significance on their hair. Connections to culture and community painfully rupture when students are forced to modify the hair that brings them status, respect, faith, protection, and more within their respective cultures. Concerns about hair-related discrimination affect some individuals’ productivity in the school setting. There are also biological implications. For instance, Black individuals forced to chemically straighten their hair to comply with Eurocentric hair standards experience an elevated risk of developing conditions like traction alopecia. Moreover, for many communities, hair remains a strong symbol, so the removal has severe implications. An example of this can be seen when considering cases of young Native American boys attending schools with Eurocentric standards. For these boys, having long hair or a braid is oftentimes a major status symbol, an extension of the self, the embodiment of wisdom and strength, and finally, an attempt to resist colonization. In order to avoid the historical trauma within their families that was caused and perpetuated by colonization efforts, these boys aim to maintain their hair as their right to dignity and connection to the culture that others are trying to erase.
These are only some instances of how hair-related discrimination persists in the school systems, but should indicate the presence of an issue that will perpetuate without calling for these revisions of relevant school dress codes and related policies. School systems in this state have the responsibility to take these matters seriously. Despite CROWN Act policy changes that have occurred in other states, students are still fighting for their rights. No student should be forced to fight a battle like this. I ask you, as leaders in the field of education, to consider what this kind of intervention might mean for the students in this state. Revisions of this nature will affirm multicultural student populations, providing them with the knowledge that their identities are valued and now protected. It will reinforce the notion that individuals of all backgrounds can be represented in policies.
Your concern for the students in the State of Indiana is noticed and appreciated. The ongoing decisions implemented at the level of the State Board of Education set an important precedent for the progression, growth, and change in local school systems. I carefully urge you to consider this matter, as well. Your endorsement of providing fairness, justice, and cultural appreciation will have a profound impact and will be deeply valued. This will benefit many students and families.
Thank you for your time and your careful consideration.
Best regards,
Cameron Mitchell
University of Evansville, PsyD in Clinical Psychology Program
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