Tipping the scales

Tennessee has the ninth highest poverty rate in the nation, according to 2021 U.S. Census data. Seventeen percent of families and almost 21% of the Memphis population live below the poverty line.

But according to St. George’s own data, most of our students live in Collierville and Germantown. Of the top five zip codes represented on our three campuses, three are located within Collierville and Germantown, two of the wealthiest cities in Tennessee.

It would be safe to assume that some of us are experiencing some aspects of class privilege, which the American Counseling Association defines as, “the tangible or intangi- ble unearned advantages enjoyed by someone of higher class status.”

Even those of us who aren’t wealthy enjoy one marker of class privilege: attending an independent school.

But schooling isn’t the only example of privilege. Other forms of class privilege can be buying luxury items without need or worry, having the freedom to waste food or products, or being able to afford to see a doctor and receive healthcare when needed.

St. George’s strives to merge different economic backgrounds, and therefore differing levels of privilege, in its community.

Mr. Will Bladt, associate head of school and current interim athletic director, said that St. George’s is one of the most financially diverse independent schools in the region with “40% of our families receiving some sort of financial aid.”

It offers a campus in Memphis that is funded by a pool of anonymous donors, operates on a separate budget and serves students who would not typically have access to an independent school education for financial reasons. It also provides significant financial aid to students who begin on the Germantown or Collierville campuses.

Our school encompasses so many different backgrounds that people may not always understand one another’s struggles. People cannot control their economic status. In the same way someone born into poverty does not have a say in their socioeconomic status, someone born into wealth isn’t able to control that either. The ability to sympathize with the living and financial conditions of others can be impaired because of class privilege. But regardless, it’s important to understand each other.

One of the most important things to remember about economic struggle is that it is more common within marginalized groups.
The American Psychology Association says that the relationship between socioeconomic status, race and gender is intimately intertwined.

Some groups are more than twice as likely to experience poverty than the average American, according to USA Today. These groups include women, African Americans, Hispanics and people with disabilities.

They face discrimination, limited work or advancement opportunities and the effects of generational poverty, all of which make it more likely they will struggle economically.

Being at an economic disadvantage can also impact how well and how long we live.

The ongoing stress and challenges associated with poverty can lead to cumulative health damage, both physical and mental, affect our ability to make healthy choices, impact the affordability of medical care and housing and limit the ability to manage stress.

Access to social support for these issues is also impacted when communities are at an economic disadvantage. When you don’t have the money to get the help you need, you have an increased risk of suffering from anxiety and depression, according to the CDC.

Take our school for example. We go to an independent school in a generally wealthy area. Due to this, we could have a better chance of seeing community resources and therefore have a higher chance of receiving the help we need.

Recognizing the amount of socioeconomic inequality around us may bring us closer to coming up with solutions to these problems.

Country Health Rankings and Roadmaps states that the greatest health improvements are made by emphasizing efforts to support disadvantaged families and neighbor- hoods. Even small improvements have the potential to have great impacts.