For my advocacy project, I plan on advocating for more equitable standardized testing options. Specifically, resources provided based upon testing concepts to better prepare underprivileged students that do not have the experience or preparation as their wealthy counterparts. As I researched wealth and socioeconomic inequalities in the education system, I began to uncover much larger issues in the education system with inequalities stemming from before children enter kindergarten. These inequalities are most prominent when comparing standardized testing scores, and these scores have an important impact on college admissions and post-secondary education for students. The college degree is becoming more crucial for success in the modern age and it is crucial that standardized tests are equitable to provide all students opportunities based on their abilities and not uncontrollable circumstances. While it is incredibly difficult to address the general poverty issues in the nation, I hope to advocate for an option to level the field of standardized testing as an intermediary step. I plan to make a video addressed to test-writers and organizers at the College Board and ACT organizations. This video will be available publicly for informative purposes and for additional community input. I will need to effectively advocate for this topic as test organizers will likely be resistant to change in a system that they already feel works well. Drawing on the Hierarchy of Needs and Motivating Sequence will be crucial to encourage the desire to take actionable steps to resolve this issue. I plan to address growing socioeconomic inequality in the country and how the education system is largely at the root of this but can be resolved through the steps I am advocating for.

I believe Photographer as Witness is a very unique piece of advocacy that offers a window into the life of one of many individuals across the country that suffer domestic abuse. This work, while I don’t instinctively consider as “art,” offers a vivid perspective of what domestic abuse looks like. No longer do individuals need to hear a definition and examples, for there is now a picture to put with the words. This piece also provides a lot of background information to holistically capture the events leading up to the domestic abuse incident that separated Maggie and Shane. When considering whether the piece is ethical, I do not feel that this piece is innately unethical. The photographer received explicit consent to photograph the family as part of a project on ex-convicts and after becoming better acquainted, Shane and Maggie agreed that the photographer could continue to document them over time. While this eventually leads to the in-the-moment photographs of domestic abuse, this was not the initial goal of the photographer’s work. While I do feel that this is a significant invasion of privacy, it was Maggie and Shane’s choice to allow the photographer to document their lives and ultimately document the domestic abuse that occurred. These photographs can serve as an important work of advocacy in displaying to the public what goes on behind closed doors and within personal lives. While people know of domestic abuse, very few have the knowledge or experience to speak to the details. However, this piece only provides one story and one angle into domestic abuse which needs to be carefully considered while evaluating domestic abuse as a whole. There is no one definitive example because it is not limited by any boundaries. This piece helps to better educate the public on domestic abuse, from one specific story, to further awareness of the topic and it could help people to better aid those suffering from it.