My SJRA Experience

The Penn Summer program’s Social Justice Research Academy is one of the most prized experiences of my life. During a time of social unrest, there’s a lot of misinformation, injustice, and frightful things going on. I applied to the program to get a better understanding of current events. SJRA taught me that in order to make a difference, having the right information and knowledge is key to making informed decisions rather than abrupt, uninformed opinions. The program opened my eyes on current injustices people face in society and gave me access to a plethora of professionals who study injustices and make informed judgments to better the world. I am interested in bringing equality in America and the world during my lifetime and this program has helped me discover ways in which I can voice equality.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, low-income and vulnerable communities have been disproportionately affected in terms of inadequate access to healthcare and protection in hospitals and medical institutions in the United States. This has reflected in the overall death cases due to COVID-19, especially for different races.

Not only is racial injustice present in our social communities, but also in the way our current system responds to different races in a pandemic. When race and COVID-related death data are compared side by side, they suggest that the virus does discriminate between the black and white communities, favoring one and disproportionately affecting the other.