Social Change and My Community by

Cultural

ashleyjohnston3_1 — 2025-04-05 21:39:29 UTC

Being a small south Florida beach town, the ocean makes a meaningful impact on the surrounding community. Surfing, an activity I thoroughly enjoyed participating in with friends and loved ones, is a huge part of the culture.

My Community Profile

ashleyjohnston3_1 — 2025-04-05 21:39:49 UTC

Historical

ashleyjohnston3_1 — 2025-04-05 21:40:06 UTC

When Vero Beach became the home of the LA Dodger's spring training practices, the small Florida beach town that I am from became one of the first around to welcome players of color and set an example for the rest of the country.

Environmental

ashleyjohnston3_1 — 2025-04-05 21:40:21 UTC

ashleyjohnston3_1 — 2025-04-07 20:23:56 UTC

Teachers from the yoga studio in my community that made a deep impact on my life through mentorship.

Inequality

ashleyjohnston3_1 — 2025-06-10 18:32:01 UTC

According to a USA Today article, as of 2012 Vero Beach combined with the neighboring town of Sebastian, where I went to high school, had the highest level of income inequality in the country.

Social Movements

ashleyjohnston3_1 — 2025-06-10 19:11:41 UTC

Even though Vero Beach is a predominantly Republican town, there are still progressive humans who want to see the betterment of life for all of the town's residents. In the wake of the murder of George Floyd in 2020, protests took place throughout town, many of which I participated in. When the May Day "Hands Off" protests occurred at the beginning of last month, Democrats of Indian River, the county in which Vero Beach lies, held their own. I am proud of my community members fighting for justice in a place that would prefer silence and an upholding of the status quo.

Education

ashleyjohnston3_1 — 2025-06-10 19:23:56 UTC

Florida refuses to teach an honest history of the unequal and disgusting treatment of people of color that this nation was founded upon. I believe that education must be factual and objective, not tell a fairy tale story "distorts historical events", and challenge students and allow them to think critically about the history of the United States, and the ongoing prejudice against minorities.

Inequality

ashleyjohnston3_1 — 2025-06-10 19:30:48 UTC

As of the publishing of this Forbes article in 2018, Vero Beach is still in the top 13 places in America with the highest ratios of income inequality.

Social Location

ashleyjohnston3_1 — 2025-06-10 19:40:39 UTC

At the time this Vero Beach News article was published in 2020, it is reported that the Treasure Coast, which includes Indian River County where Vero Beach is located, has the highest percentage of unsheltered homeless people of any suburban area in the United States. This is directly tied to social location, which is shaped by factors such as class and race and the economic and racial divide. Vero is known for its high population of retirees and seasonal residents, who have the monetary means to pay more for housing, and drive up the cost of the homes that do exist, which means there are a lack of affordable housing for those who earn less than $65,000 a year and no rental apartment options for those earning less than $55,000, according to this article.