"Equity"

A slide on the Powerpoint displays a well-known illustration by Angus Maguire of equality versus equity. It depicts three people of different heights trying to look over a fence. I've seen the graphic many times, yet only a couple of months ago did I recognize the true meaning of "equity". I imagine a track field as a basis for understanding the difference. The eight runners begin at different spots to make up for the way the track is shaped- that’s equity. Equality would be considered if the image of the entire track field was zoomed in to only display the starting positions. In that case, the runners starting at different positions seem "unequal" and to restore equality, you'd make sure everyone starts at the same place: because you cannot see the bigger picture and consider all of the components of the problem.

In a zoomed-in picture, the track seems to be straight. However, on a circular track, equality wouldn’t be the “fairest” option. If the track were indeed straight, equality would be the fairest option. The problem is harder to decipher when that track becomes a metaphor for life- because you don’t know what shape the track is. All too often, there are too many factors. But how can you balance one part of a problem without looking past other parts that might cause inequity somewhere else? There shouldn’t be a need for the runners to begin at different positions. Like most problems that exist, the issue with Angus Maguire’s illustration is that it’s too zoomed in, meaning it cannot show you all prefaces of the differences between equity and equality. After this epiphany, it’s easier to understand how to see the bigger picture in the situation I’m in.