This weekend I was asked by a very smart and dedicated union organizer “what drives you”. I was taken aback. This seemingly simple question had so many answers, yet so few came to mind. Trying not to sound like a beauty queen (sorry Mrs. Colorado), I responded that I am driven to have influence for the good. What I was trying to get at is this seemingly tense relationship between politics, power, and social justice organizing that sums up my life at the moment.

I feel I have a great internal motivating factor which I think is characterized by the following (which BTW are some of the wisest words ever uttered): it is both the duty and responsibility of the world’s fortunate few to help fulfill the legitimate aspirations of the unfortunate many.

It is in this, acknowledging and working within my privilege, that I work everyday to better my community. It is also in this that I often struggle with my identity. Am I a social justice organizer? Am I a politician? Do I serve to gain power and influence for purely personal fulfillment and if so is that social justice when used for the betterment of others? These questions, the ones that will decide my future career, are ones I am currently struggling with.

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