College Access Conference, NTC 10312012

SERVING THE “UNDERSERVED”

• Or the “underrepresented”• Or the “out of the mainstream”• Or just “them”

Many times, we define underserved populations based upon our statistics and our

graphs

We define “them” as compared to “us” and often “they” lack numbers or resources

We may be uncomfortable encountering “them”

“They” may not have the same values as “us”

They may not hold the same opinions we do

But we should keep in mind, that many people only become

“underserved” or “them” when their activities are misinterpreted,

their customs are taken out of context, or they are removed from

their own communities.

Take Perseus for example

What if what Perseus was really encountering was not a nasty, ugly woman who turned

people to stone

But a beautiful woman in dreadlocks?

DRAFT 11

And then as we know, there are even differences within cultures…

This is a Seminole by the way…

Very often “underserved” and “other” populations make concessions because they

believe in harmony…

Or pressure may have made them temporarily change

So if you want to help your students who are feeling that they are left out or underserved you need to:

Listen to what “they” are truly saying and don’t project

Take what they say about themselves as truth, but don’t leave your “practicality meter” at home

Be flexible because what is true today may not be true tomorrow

Stay current and learn as much as you can about the culture you are dealing with

If you do these things, you may learn why Medusa lives where she does and why she has “snakes” in her hair. You may also learn how you can support her and empower her to be successful in any community.