Ojas Bhagra: Every human being is a story, not just a statistic
We live in an era where information is readily accessible. However, be it for school projects or government policy reform, numbers and statistics tend to dominate over actual human stories and experiences. While data provides a big-picture perspective, it blurs out the individual experience and the human story. As part of a high school project, I chose to learn about my grandfather’s experience during the Partition of India in 1947. Despite knowing him my entire life, I was oblivious to where the conversation would eventually end up. What began as a normal exchange quickly morphed into a shocking tale of fear, resilience, and survival. He recounted living in cramped tents in refuge camps, taking camels through drifting deserts, and having soldiers storm into his train after a bomb went off nearby, all while being only five-years-old. At the conclusion of the conversation, I was truly in awe of his experience and how intensely I responded to it emotionally.
During my research for the project, I had read that 14.5 million people had crossed the same exact border that my grandfather did. In comparison to his story, I noticed that my cognitive interaction with the seemingly colossal number of 14.5 million was rather superficial because numbers inherently are nondescript. After a brief acknowledgment of its magnitude, I realized I simply stored it in the back of my memory as a fact to regurgitate when appropriate. Contrary to the impact of stories, the number incited no lasting or perspective-altering response because there was very little to humanistically connect with.
Equipped with the understanding of the power of stories, I took it upon myself to view any issue through the dual lenses of numbers and stories to gain a holistic perspective. Currently, protests have erupted around the country in response to the killing of George Floyd, an unarmed black man killed by police in Minneapolis. Whether you were actively participating in the protests or not, it is undeniable that the Black Lives Matter movement has galvanized the nation. The key to the mass uprising and widespread support? Stories.
In its essence, Black Lives Matter found its rallying cry in the stories of black men and women around the country. Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and many others. For years predating the rise of the BLM movement, statistics that offered a base insight into the policing discrepancies and trends were readily available. However, it was the crushing and insightful details of each of the tragedies that truly touched our collective compassionate conscience and motivated a movement for systemic change.
More specific to Rochester, while attending the BLM protests, my friends and family were heavily moved by the stories told by the speakers reflecting on their personal emotional responses to the chaos ensuing around them. Stories of how they worry each time their black brother goes on a run with a hoodie on, or stories of not having their school adequately stand up for their students of color.
The point I’d like you to take away is this: Stories are a versatile tool for connection. While statistics do have their place, too often we choose to view them as the be-all-end-all, never truly garnering a compassionate connection through actual human experiences, which are able to unlock a fervorous motivation for change as seen in the BLM movement. So spread your stories, because without them, our society loses sight of the humans behind the numbers.
Ojas Bhagra is a junior at Mayo High School who loves to explore the world around him, both the nature and the people. Currently, he is working on independent projects to benefit the community and is an avid tennis player.
