During "A Night of Class," a forum which is part of the Living With Compassion Series, participants tackled major issues often overlooked by society. The event drew a modest crowd but eager audience participation.
Forum speakers said they became aware of economic differences at young ages by associating with their school peers.
"The fact that I qualified for free lunch in school and the other 70 percent of my classmates didn't alerted me to the fact that my family was different," said Corey Holliday, a UNC employee from the Department of Athletics.
Many guests of the forum said they never allowed themselves to succumb to society's limitations, despite economic hardship. "Even though I realized I couldn't change my current economic status, I knew I could do better for myself in the future," said Sameka Battle, a sophomore communications major. "That is what I am doing now."
But some said Americans tend to not dwell on class differences. Joel Schwartz, a public policy and analysis professor who spoke during the discussion, said, "Americans refuse to assign themselves to a specific class. Instead, they want to identify with others by race, ethnicity, culture, religion and regionalism. (Americans) have the least developed sense of class consciousness."
Sophomore Jessica Lambert agreed her economic status has nothing to do with who she is as a person. "I think of what I can achieve," she said. "This is a country of opportunity. Americans always see opportunity and say, 'I might be lower class now, but I will be something else one day.'"
Many participants said financial obstacles they faced actually improved their outlook on life. "I had to work my behind off to get everything that I have -- I had no alternative," Schwartz said. "Coming from a background of poverty is the biggest character building experience of all."
Forum guests also discussed the importance of giving back to the community, saying society needs to instill the desire for success in more of its youth. "Personally, I know I didn't get to where I am today by myself," said Alex Mehfar, a senior economics major. "By remembering that fact, I know I have a duty to give back to my community and to give to those who need help."
Eliminating economic barriers in society was also a major topic of conversation. Melissa Exum, dean of students, said it will take time and effort, but equality can eventually be reached. "When we talk about (barriers) honestly and openly, we make a personal step toward improvement," she said. "It's all about personal courage and what we do when nobody else is looking."
