Powered by the People: Collective Power for Collective Liberation
We hosted our second annual statewide Education for Social Justice Conference on Saturday, April 13th at White River Valley High School in South Royalton. The theme was “Powered by the People, Collective Power for Collective Liberation”. The conference was planned by a group of youth and adults from all the state over the span of six months. There were about 225 in-person attendees and about 40 virtual attendees.
The conference was in honor of disability rights activist Deborah Lisi-Baker, who passed away suddenly in March 2022. The conference was free to attend for those whose school or organization wasn’t able to pay. It was open to educators, students, parents/caregivers and community organizers who are working towards justice in our schools. Childcare was provided, face masks were required, low-sensory spaces were available, and there were all gender restrooms to make the conference accessible.
The keynote panel focused on the conference theme with a focus on coalition-building. The panel was moderated by Mikaela Simms. Mikaela is co-director of Spark Teacher Education Institute and has been working as Windham Southeast Unified School District Director of Equity and Social Justice for 15 years. The panelists were Geoffrey Winder, Shinieka Fareus, and Eli Clare. Geoffrey is an intersectional activist in education and racial justice for LGBTQ2s+ youth. Shineika is an anti-racist educator, a community organizer, and a transformative leader at Black and Brown Student Union. Eli is a white, disabled, and genderqueer poet, storyteller, and social justice educator. You can watch the keynote panel here.
There were 19 workshops offered. Over half of the workshops were led by youth. Nearly all were led by people of color and/or people with disabilities. “Peer Mediation: Empowering Youth to Lead Restorative Practices Work in Schools” was led by peer mediators from Burlington High School. “Take Care Project: Building Menstrual Equity in Vermont Schools & Communities” was presented virtually by youth who work with ACT Bennington. “The Unheard Stories Project” organized by Winooski students included a performance with a mixture of storytelling, poetry, video, and audio interviews with members of their community. “Harm Reduction Heroes: Empowering Youth to Address Substance Use” was presented by folks from Ezili's Respite Farm & Sanctuary.
There was Ethiopian and Thai food for lunch. Attendees had the option to screen print a shirt to take home with a design by Essex student Braeden Laidman. The organizers included time for people to connect through lunch conversations groups as well as a facilitated regional connecting time. The lunch conversation groups included topics like dismantling ableism and centering access, youth organizing for anti-racism, and supporting foster care youth and youth experiencing homelessness.
“The collective attitude of acceptance and commitment to change created a beautiful space to explore hard topics.”
“There were SO MANY incredible workshop options! It seems like there was something interesting for everyone.”
“It is a very welcoming space, and I think it was affirming for students in a way they hadn't expected.”
“I appreciated all of the care and thoughtfulness given to accessibility-- food choices, gender-neutral restrooms, visual aids, the flow of the day, etc. The keynote was also FANTASTIC and gave me a lot to think about, as well as being inspiring. I love that there were so many youth there and so many youth leading workshops. Screenprinting conference shirts is also so fun.”
“I enjoyed and appreciated how youth was working alongside adults.”
Resources
Here are resources from the conference:
Collective Poem
Powered by the People:
Collective Power for Collective Liberation
What do you wish you were told? What do you wish you had said?
Our words contain power.
We can use them to achieve liberation.
What you wanted to say:
Say it now.
What you should have been told:
Say it out loud.
These are your words; our poem:
Your voice shapes your life
You will get there, it just takes time.
You’re allowed to feel Rage.
I will hold you in your anger.
Difference is strength!
Your words do not negate my validity.
Your body is your body;
your life is your life.
I wish we could be who we are
I wish we could hold each other up
You are powerful
Be free!
Being is simultaneously the easiest + most difficult thing we do in life.
I want others to know that learning experiences don’t just mean school.
Learning can happen anywhere.
Give less to the machine of industry
&
More to the bounding animal of community.
The sun is brighter together…
Fight systems, not people.
If we include every voice
we can change the world,
and make it what we
want it to be!
Listen to a recording of the collective poem.
