Lifting Lives chapter president, Barna Alim, shares her experiences with oppression and persecution as an Uyghur refugee ..read more

2020 was an unforgettable year for America. 2020 started out sluggish with the boredom of lockdown but rapidly became chaotic due to the murders of Ahmaud Aubrey and George Floyd. In the spring of 2020, many Americans decided that it was finally time to put an end to systemic racism and police brutality. I went to Black Lives Matter protests to show my allyship by capturing images that would portray the movement authentically. During the process, I came to learn just how powerful and uplifting the BLM movement is. The BLM protests are a reflection of a greater racial justice movement that will ..read more

On July 6 of 2020, the Trump Administration announced that foreign students would lose their Visas and be forced to return to their native country should their school switch to remote learning. This policy would have had several negative repercussions for international students and the universities that they attend. However, just a week later, former President Trump rescinded the policy due to widespread criticism. Hosting international students is a boon for the economy, and forcing them to return to their native countries is incredibly harmful. International students contribute $41.0 billion ..read more

Many students of color are underrepresented at prestigious higher learning institutions. This disparity is due to the socioeconomic barriers that many Black and Hispanic students disproportionately face when wishing to pursue a higher education. An analysis of 100 universities by the New York Times in 2015 found that Black students make up only 6 percent of college freshmen but constitute 15 percent of college-age Americans. College enrollment rates are highest among Asian (59%) and White (42%) 18-to-24-year-olds, and lowest for Black (37%) and Hispanic (36%) 18-to-24-year-olds. As a result of ..read more

Financial literacy is a subject that few schools offer to young students. Although some may have business programs or economics classes that address a few topics in financial literacy, there are very few courses dedicated to the topic itself. Subjects, such as science and math, are emphasized in traditional school curricula primarily for the fact that they are an integral aspect of workforce preparation. Whether that be physics or calculus classes, there is undoubtedly a heavy focus on computational and conceptual skills relating to the STEM field. However, it is equally important to prioritiz ..read more

As anti-racist non-fiction literature is brought to the limelight during the Black Lives Matter movement, we must also recognize the importance of engaging with Black literature and culture on topics other than racism. Lifting Lives wholeheartedly agrees with best-selling author Jasmine Guillory’s statement that “racism is not the only thing to know about what it means to be Black.” Our team has compiled some of our favorite literature and podcasts created by Black and Indigenous people of color and hope you join us on our life-long journey of self-education. Literature: Well-Read Black Girl ..read more

The music industry, one of the biggest industries in America, has quickly evolved from Walkmans and vinyl to present-day instant online streaming. Music plays a significant role in school cultures and has an undeniable impact on youths; today’s students overwhelmingly report streaming music and listening to music while studying. Many stakeholders in the education community strive to be actively anti-racist, thus, it is important to understand musical influences on students. Although music platforms have modernized, the music industry is still fundamentally the same. To truly understand the eff ..read more

With the widespread effects of Covid-19 in the United States, many schools and universities are opting to utilize remote learning as the main platform of education for students. The Centers for Disease Control issued guidelines for in-person instruction back in May. These guidelines included wearing masks at all times possible, following exceptional hygiene practices, and installing physical barriers between individuals for adequate distancing. However, there was a dramatic increase in virus cases following the July 4th weekend due to get-togethers and travel.  “Florida surpassed 200,000 ..read more