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Equality, Equity, Justice

Equality, Equity, Justice

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Updated Oct 24, 2023 at 10:49AM EDT by sakshi.

Added Oct 24, 2023 at 07:24AM EDT by sakshi.

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About

Equality, Equity, Justice refers to jokes and exploitable memes about a cartoon often used to depict the differences between "equality," "equity," and "justice." The cartoon shows three people of varying heights trying to watch a game over a fence, with the shortest person being unable to see the game until a box acts as a height booster and ensures "equity," or, as seen in an updated version of the image, the fence is torn down as an act of "justice." Several further updates to the image led people to joke about how the image is a limiting and trite metaphor in the late 2010s and early 2020.

Origin

According to a Medium[1] article written by Craig Froehle in April 2016, the original "Equality vs. Equity" graphic was posted by him to Google+ on December 19th, 2012 (seen below).[2] Froehle notes that the image gathered over 4,000 total interactions on the platform.


EQUALITY to a conservative to a liberal Txx

The image subsequently underwent various changes in phrasing and art, with some iterations using the word "justice" instead of equity and others questioned the existence of a fence in the first place (seen below).


Sensible Politics Equality is not always Justice This is EQUALITY SA Apr 17, 2013 || This is JUSTICE NAA This is Equality This is Justice Equality Justice 11 Liberation Meme

On January 13th, 2016, the Interaction Institute for Social Change posted a redrawn version of the graphic (seen below).[3]


II Interaction Institute sic for Social Change :: 133 Illustrating Equality VS Equity January 13, 2016 by IISC non ABOUT EQUALITY PEOPLE EQUITY SERVI IISC has long believed that this image, illustrating the difference between equality and equity, is worth a thousand words. As a gift to the world of equity practitioners, IISC engaged artist Angus Maguire to draw a new version of an old favorite (since we could only find pixelated versions of the original). Please feel free to download the high-resolution image and use in your presentations.

Spread

Later in January 2016, a version of the meme showing "reality" began making the rounds online, as seen in a February 4th, 2016 image posted to X[4] (formerly Twitter) by @urbandata (seen below, left). On May 16th, 2016, IISC[5] posted an image encouraging readers to draw their vision of liberation or freedom (seen below, right).


Mark Abraham @urbandata Equality vs. Equity vs. USA Reality v @IISCBlog @atticascott #inequality #healthequity #Inequalityls EQUALITY WHO Urban Health and 6 others 8:34 PM. Feb 4, 2016 EQUITY REALITY ... #the4thBox EQUALITY LIBERATION EQUITY YOUR IDEA HERE Could there be more to this story? What will you put in #the4thbox? INSTRUCTIONS 1. Cut out the various pieces in this kit, and rearrange them to illustrate a new idea related to equity and social justice. 2. Tape or glue them to the last sheet in the kit. 3. Snap a photo and tweet or FaceBook it using #the4thbox! TIPS • Draw and add additional objects to extend the metaphor. • Draw your own people to address questions of identity and difference • Draw a new setting on a blank piece of paper. • Explore the meanings of each element of the metaphor as you think about your own vision.

On November 1st, 2020, Redditor /u/darkmight1890 posted a version of the meme showing "revolution" and "evolution," gathering over 31,000 upvotes in /r/dankmemes[6] (seen below, left). A June 22nd, 2021 version of the meme posted to /r/PoliticalCompassMemes[7] by /u/phildiop showed all three figures in the image being labeled as trespassers. The post gathered over 13,000 upvotes in two years (seen below, right).


equality equity inclusion Bepositphotos depositphotes revolution deponychotos Evolution imgflip.com EQUALITY EQUITY TRESPASSING Buy a ticket like everyone else had to, you assholes.

A June 22nd 2021 post about the image by X[8] user @ClinPsychDavid (seen below, top) drew renewed criticism and redraws of the meme, as seen in a October 18th, 2023 post by @lastpositivist[9] (seen below, bottom).


REALITY One gets more than is needed, while the other gets less than is needed. Thus, a huge disparity is created. EQUALITY The assumption is that everyone benefits from the same supports. This is considered to be equal treatment. EQUITY Everyone gets the support they need, which produces equity. JUSTICE All 3 can see the game without supports or accommodations because the cause(s) of the inequity was addressed. The systemic barrier has been removed. @ClinPsychDavid INCLUSION Everyone is INCLUDED in the game. No one is left on the outside; we didn't only remove the barriers keeping people out, we made sure they were valued & involved. Liam Bright @lastpositivist Oct 18 This is my vision and I'm willing to fight for it. EQUALITY David Murphy @ClinPsychDavid Jun 22, 2021 bel EQUITY JUSTICE www. Eve . I love the famous equality/equity/justice cartoon & have used it a lot in talks. However, its always really bugged me that the three people stay exactly where they are, outside the park, in all 4 pictures, so I've taken the liberty of added a 5th, does this make... Show more :

Various Examples


GULAG 00 EQUALITY EQUITY Grilling (in joe) EQUALITY EQUITY (IN THEORY) Equality The assumption is that everyone benefits from the same supports. This is equal treatment. Equity Everyone gets the supports they need (this is the concept of "affirmative action"), thus producing equity. Prussian Justice All 3 can see the guillotine without supports or accommodations because the cause(s) of the inequity was addressed. The systemic barrier has been removed. EQUALITY VOTE VOTE NOTE VOCE VOTE VD VOTE VOTE JOTE FPT RA 28 8 VOTE VOTE 2015 Kent Bulmer | HudgeAndGudge.com VOTE EQUITY VOTE VOTE VOTE JOTE Vore EQUALITY EQUITY SPORTS COVDEN Paying for the game

Search Interest

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External References

[1] Medium – The Evolution Of An Accidental Meme

[2] Google+ – Craig Froehle

[3] Interaction Institute – Illustrating Equality

[4]  X – urbandata

[5] X – IISCBlog

[6] Reddit – /r/dankmemes

[7] Reddit – /r/PoliticalCompassMemes

[8] X – ClinPsychDavid

[9] X – lastpositivist

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Top Comments

Mothman
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Mothman

Just gonna leave my two cents.

Equity is good in concept when applied to factors people cannot change, if it does not take away from others.

Giving aid to an area ravaged by a fire isn't a place for someone to say "Hey what about me?" in an unaffected suburban neighborhood.

Taxing those you view as "well off" to give to those you see as "in need" can lead to problems.

As for why this rarely works in practice?

How "need" is determined kills most attempts at this.

More often than not, it comes to that ONE lil can of worms people can never escape from… the color of one's skin.

Accepting lower scores to admit kids of one skin color to a school and needing HIGHER scores of kids of the "privileged" color is just… wrong.

It's wrong because it assumes.

It assumes everyone's life experiences are the same. It assumes the stereotype is the rule, and creates inequality as a result.

This guy's story relating to that lives in my head rent free, he was an Indian man from an immigrant family and had to pretend to be black to get into med school, despite having decent grades

I really don't like when people try to oversimplify this and remove the nuance because the nuance is what determines who needs help and who such a thing would hurt by proxy.

It's not this simple.

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