Tuesday, February 6, 2018, four representatives of the activist community spoke about intersectionality, creativity, solidarity, and neoliberalism. Dr. Audrey Hudson, Dr. Sandra Jeppesen, Dr. RM Kennedy, and Susanne Nyaga presented these subjects in examples of their own work.
The reference to traditional lands before the presentation was amazing. In non-indigenous settings, I have only seen short land acknowledgments that do not explain why the acknowledgment is there.
After listening to each panelist I believe that their ideas are leading up to the future of activism. This future looks like encouragement, solidarity, and creativity. These qualities are found in each of these activist works. Hudson encouraging her students through hip-hop, because hip-hop has a clear connection to minority voices. In addition, teaching courses at the AGO that reflect the calls to action, making it a reality for the community. The picture I have provided is a student work from OCAD in Hudson’s class in regards to hip-hop. Although as described as angry expressions, I see stoic faces with poetry explaining their lives.
Kennedy did not give up on his rights as a teacher not only for himself but, for the other college teachers as well. Encouraging everyone to stand up for what they believe in. During the rally for change, Kennedy promoted clever slogans, designs, and devices. One example given was of a poster with ‘Tales from the Crypt’ layout, suggesting that college faculty members felt like zombies from the conditions of their positions. Conditions that include less full-time faculty and more contract workers, no academic quality and no equal pay. Another visual, ‘I am not Instructo-Bot’. Creating this was very effective and clever to explain how faculty felt about the control of their jobs. In addition, explaining why academic freedom is important for everyone. No one wants to be controlled.

Sandra promoting feminism all day every day, not just one day out of the year. Additionally, referencing who she is as a person in 2018 and accepting it. I find this rare in the post-secondary environment, within the three years I have been it. Sandra spoke about movements that are directly in relation to feminism, slutwalk, #metoo, #BLM-TO, and discussing rape culture.
Susanne addressing that all voices are heard in the Student union of Ryerson, and strengthening the relationships among students through social media. As well as, questioning what a non-neoliberalism university looks like? Immediately, my question is, have you seen the movie ‘Billy Jack’? Could we try to create a 2018 Freedom School?
Hearing their ideas has provided me with the guidance I need to complete my own artistic endeavors. Prior to the presentation, I was having terrible designers block. Now I know how to finish all of my art projects. For example, painting a giant mural of the resistance logo on the side of Kerr Hall North with the four colors of Ojibwe, red, yellow, white, and blue. This is just an idea. Overall, after attending the presentation has given more insight into what’s happening within the community and inspired me with ideas that I have been struggling with to complete.

As activists, as minority/marginalized groups or simply as students of the neoliberal university, we have the responsibility of standing up for the oppressive and reprimanding functions in our society. The speakers from the Artivism panel clearly demonstrated their passionate dedication to supporting their fellow equals. The first speaker, Audrey Hudson, spoke of how hip-hop gives a platform for silenced voices of Indigenous and non-Indigenous marginalized youth to discuss the histories of decolonization, race, and sovereignty. She gives the example of how Indigenous and Black youth embraced the power of hip-hop; gravitating towards this art form as a platform to tell stories and lived experiences – as the basis of true hip-hop. This made me think about the importance of having open, inclusive and collective spaces for youth to come together, to be able to freely express themselves. Such free forms of art practice/expression are difficult to access or create in a neoliberal university setting, as it usually negates community, or creates lots of red-tape and boundaries for such practices and collectives.

The second speaker, Dr. RM Kennedy, spoke on behalf of the contract faculty protesting for academic freedom and a 50/50 ratio of full and part-time teaching faculty. I believe academic freedom should be endowed in all aspects, through the defacement of neoliberalist logic with thoughts and freedom that reset our point of view. As Preston and Aslett state in Resisting Neoliberalism from within the Academy, “these practices undermine the academy’s ability to function as a ‘public good by creating environments that esteem the values of business and profit-making over those of democratic engagement and critical thinking”. As such, academic freedom is not a priority or value in institutionalized, capitalist spaces. I believe if academic freedom were to be applied within my program’s curriculum, students would gain numerous benefits from having the teachers inject their own wisdom into the material and as an implication, allowing students to personalize and tailor their work to their passions and interests.

The third speaker, Sandra Jeppesen, challenges rape culture, racism, and neoliberalist academies. Speaking on movements such as the SlutWalk, #metoo, Hijabs, Hoodies and Hotpants and #BLM-TO, raises the understanding of empowerment through collectives; when the voices of a collective standing up for something become so loud that there is no way not to listen. With the rise of media activism, humanity’s agency is louder and grander than ever – making it easier to put the power into question, create transparency and inevitably grow more eyes to see, ears to hear and voices to speak up with.

Susanne Nyaga also focused on the power of the human force for good and standing up for other marginalized folks. She focuses on anti-Blackness, holding institutions accountable for the way marginalized bodies move through spaces that were not initially created for them. As students, educators, and activists we need to think about how we can help create this reform, in what ways can we take responsibility?  Perhaps it is our responsibility to take charge and be politically, socially and actively engaged with our fellow peers because care is solidarity and the louder we are, the greater of a chance we will be heard. Evolution towards a more compassionate and conscious world is a decision we have to all make in each and every moment.

“Dreaming Big: A Teach-In on Media Panics, Academic Freedom, and the Intersectional University” is the first of the three-part Artivism Lab Speaker Series. The wide range of topics covered by the panelists in this first lecture included Eliza Chandler’s short discussion of indigenous activism and justice, Dr. Audrey Hudson’s contributions to indigenous youth studies, photography, and hip-hop, Dr. RM Kennedy’s work in drawing thought on political conflict through aesthetic texts and through supporting the protest of Ontario College faculty, Sandra Jeppesen’s work with transformative media and social movements, and Susanne Nyaga’s work at the Ryerson Student’s Union in mobilizing and creating space for communities.

All of the discussions between the panelists in this lecture seemed to have a connecting theme of space; that being areas in society which we feel are unfit or unwelcoming to our own bodies. This idea is omnipresent in the modern academy, where many minority groups are pushed away or unsupported by the neoliberal university, and should be a widespread topic of discussion for faculty and students.

Susan Preston’s “Resisting Neoliberalism from within the Academy” details how she ensures that she acknowledges to her students her position of privilege in the academy being a white woman, while also ensuring to keep in mind the needs of accessibility for students such as by offering online communication tools for ease of access, basing assignments purely on factually-backed information, and pushing back on the neoliberal university.

RM Kennedy outlined that Academic freedom is about the right of faculty and students to resist the rise of the commodified, corporate educational model. The “INSTRUCTO-BOT” moscot was created for the Ontario Colleges protest movement for denying ‘assembly line education’ and the ‘zombie faculty’; that being the deadening labour practices of the modern academy. A perfect marxist quote to represent this:

The panelists made it very clear that the only way to see change from a neoliberalist academy to one with academic freedom is to address the issues directly through doing more than just being an “internet warrior”. Audrey Hudson and Sandra Jeppesen pushed the idea that if your own institution is not representative of yourself, then you should MAKE yourself represented. Making your voice heard helps to thrust forward into a new and educated generation through change. Susanne Nyaga expanded on this a little more, saying that while doing so it is important that you include everybody; educate yourself PAST your own identity by connecting, creating conversations, and finding others who either want or are striving to create similar spaces you seek. Showing up to meetings, engaging in becoming part of and pushing for that work are the moving points, while pure social media activism is always just the first step. It’s hard to move into an in-depth discussion and study how deep and complex the issues are; when it comes to these forms of activism, its harder to have a disagreement/convince or rationalize over social media. After all, the #1 rule of social media is “don’t feed the trolls”.

Preston, Susan and Jordan Aslett. “Resisting Neoliberalism from within the Academy: Subversion through an Activist Pedagogy.” Social Work Education, vol. 33, no. 4, 2014, pp. 502-518.

“Dream Big” says Dr. RM Kennedy at the ARTivism Lab; A phrase I would hear throughout my education to figure out what I wanted to do with my life; to choose my plan and define my aspirations.

From where are my dreams formed? This is a question the speakers at the ARTivism lab posed in my mind.  Who or what are my dreams and aspirations supporting? Where do I go to pursue these dreams? Post-Secondary Education is glorified as the epitome of academic success and a gateway to. “knowledge is power” is a recurring mantra. But what is knowledge and who holds the key to its gate? University knowledge can be a powerful resource; however, I appreciate the remark Sandra Jeppesen – an associate professor at Lakehead University – on the value of people outside the field of traditional academia.

The education system pushes its students to “innovators” and entrepreneurs to contribute to the be economic drivers in society.  Where is the critical thought that makes me question the systems in which I take part in? What kinds of social issues are we taught in class? What is the contributions of such academic work to better not only the privileged metropolitan citizens? Susanne Nyaga – a Social Work student at Ryerson University and on-campus activist for black rights – speaks of needing a space where people can have “deep” and meaningful conversations on social issues. Only when active discourse is mobilized and normalized can attitudes towards social issues change. The university can be a place for this discourse.

Preston’s ideas on multi-disciplinary courses and the general trend of disengagement in their social work class speaks to the idea that social justice is not at the forefront of everyone’s minds nor is it a motive for pursuing their careers. What if it were a suggestion to implementing social work into all aspects of education; making people – specifically in STEM programs to think about their work and how their contribution forms the society that we live in. Each discipline to use their unique positions in society to spread social change like a wanted infection.

I am not suggesting to completely derail the idea of a free-market system and one’s individual right to earn a living for themselves. For the university cannot exist without it’s students (‘money). But can there be a way to be innovative and also contribute to the betterment of society? I feel fortunate as a Creative Industries student at Ryerson who is taught how to integrate arts and culture into a capitalist setting and trying to find the right balance on how to ‘win’ inside the system. In a role of privilege as a student, I identify with Hudson’s notion of “giving back” when one is in a role of privilege.

Sources Referenced

Preston, Susan, and Aslett, Jordan. “Resisting Neoliberalism from within the Academy: Subversion through an Activist Pedagogy.” Social Work Education, vol. 33, no. 4, 2014, pp. 502-518.

Last night I had the privilege to attend, “The ARTivism Lab,” which consisted of four different activists. Each person who presented spoke about how they aspire to create social change in their distant communities. From all their individual stories, I was able to see through the lens of people who come from different racial backgrounds, sexual orientations, and personal experiences. You could truly see that they each thrived for change and are continuing to spread awareness on certain issues.

Dr. Audrey Hudson is an artist, educator, and researcher who currently works at OCAD University. She mentioned that she has worked as an artist educator for half of her life. She admires Hip-Hop and the stories that one could express through this form of dance. She works towards black and indigenous youth relationship-building through Hip-Hop. Her work at OCAD consists of teaching her students about the history of Hip-Hop, and to create art through Hip-Hop. When she was speaking, one thing that drew my attention was they way she talked about her students. It was evident that she made personal 1-to-1 connections with her students by the way she described their work to us. She goes on to say that she wishes to help other teachers facilitate knowledge and to create classroom environments that go against neoliberalism.

Dr. RM Kennedy is a labour activist, dreamer, Ontario College Faculty Division Chair, and a professor at Centennial College. He spoke about his hand in the 5-week strike that took place this last fall with the colleges in the district. His whole speech was on the idea of dreaming big and not letting people stop you from standing up for what you believe in. To Dr. RM Kennedy and for many others, proper pay and secure jobs should be in place. Then all those who were part of the strike, nothing was going to stop them from reaching that initial end goal. In a video he shared with us he mentions that it is ironic for students to get a good job if their own teachers do not have a good job. He mentions that there was this idea that people who were in power acted that under no circumstances would professors be able to teach, speak, or dream without approval. Dr. RM Kennedy goes on the say, “The reason why the strike was so successful was because we did dream big.”

Dr. Sandra Jeppesen studied and became a biomedical engineer, and later returned to school and worked for a masters in creative writing. She talks about different social issues that she feels passionate about, one being #MeToo movement. #MeToo deals with slut-shaming and rape culture. Using this hashtag, people who were sexually abused are able to speak up about their stories. She thrives and works to see a change from the idea of victim blaming to the fact that actions should be done with sober consent. She talked about other social justice movements including the #BLM-TO movement. There was a story she said about seeing her students one night at a pub who read their #MeToo poems which touched her heart. Just like Dr. Audrey Hudson, you could tell that Sandra cared about her students as well.

Susanne Nyaga is currently the president of the Ryerson Student Union and a senior student at Ryerson. What I found interesting about her talk was her idea that when it comes to address social change, social media is a nice starting point but it should not end there. She goes on to say that if we keep the talk going on social media, ideas clash and people will feel comfortable with expressing hate since it is not a face-to-face conversation. She also talks about her focus on anti-black and how she believes no black student should be harassed in any school environment just because they are black. She also wishes to help students who are not able to pay for their tuition, specifically at Ryerson, with the hidden funds that Ryerson holds.

During the talk, I was hoping to learn what makes an activist and activist. My idea of an activist has been blurry and these speakers have done an excellent job of clearing up that definition for me. Even though there may be aspects that I do not fully understand or ideas that I am not able to grasp just yet, I admire all speakers for their work. I hope my future self will be able to dream big instead of looking at the world in such a small lens.

INTRO

During the ARTivism Lab Speaker Series, there were four activists, each holding intersectional perspectives, while targeting a specific cause they’re passionate about. From Audrey Hudson discussing hip hop’s place in creating dialogue for under privileged black youth, R.M Kennedy striking for academic freedom, Sandra Jeppesen for her unapologetic intersectional feminism, and Ryerson’s own president Susanne Nyaga talking about the ingrained anti blackness on campus.

Relationship with Community/Activist Groups

All of the activist panelists actively relate to the main cause they’re dealing with, yet they provide inclusive environments and push for intersectionality in a way that I see many activists (devoted to more of a singular issue), having a hard time overcoming. Sandra Jeppesen put it best when she pointed out that as a white woman, she had to step back and let indigenous women tell their own stories by offering tools that she had the privilege to access.

Challenging relations of power & privilege in society

It’s important to find a balance in standing with a community, standing for a community, contributing to the conversation as well as realizing that a perspective you empathize with isn’t one you exactly know. It’s about realizing your voice and what everyone has to offer; realizing when it’s your turn to speak/contribute. These artists are creating change that goes further than what my generation and I commonly see. Susanne Nyaga mentioned this when talking about the shallowness of social media activism and using that element as a first step but not the end all. These artists differ, making the conscious effort to occupy space, creating visibility and helping others find their voice and realize their own ability. By being vocal, they change relations of power and privilege in society, each in their own ways.

NEOLIBERALISM

Neoliberalism was a topic that was discussed in relation to the kinds of topics that were discussed by the multiple speakers. It made me realize that neoliberalism ideology is ingrained everywhere and as an activist collective, it’s something that we are all trying to overcome. Earlier in the course, we discussed the neoliberal university and seeing how it effects all kinds of people and communities is really disheartening but it’s important to realize how in order to create the deserved change. I really enjoyed what Susanne Nyaga said about holding institutions accountable in order to carve your own space in a place that was not made for you. I think that speaks particularly towards the indigenous and the black community, while being intensified for women within those specific communities.

PERSONAL IMPACT

Personally, as an activist, I feel like activist issues are driving forces for the content I desire creating but I’ve always found it a little hard to self identify as an artist, a filmmaker, and an activist. Now, I think it’s powerful and important to do that in order to see yourself in a way that places you in a position of realizing the power you have to reinforce change, as well as giving you the confidence to do that. I think I’m able to now self identify and realize that the first step is realizing your calling, and this is something that’s always been an integral part of who I am. Speaking out is important, creating content that scares you is important and hearing from activists who do that is inspiring.

On Tuesday (Feb. 6), we had the opportunity to attend “Dreaming Big: A Teach-in on Media Panics, Academic Freedom and The Intersectional University”. It was the first event for The Studio for Media Activism & Critical Thought Speakers’ Series. 

We had the opportunity to hear from true game-changers in activism whose work revolves around defeating neoliberalism. Dr. Audrey Hudson, Dr. Sandra Jeppesen, Dr. RM Kennedy, and Susanne Nyaga told us the ways they bring their powerful voice to spaces that need it. As Hudson said, it’s all about ‘mapping’ – what you want to leave behind in the world. After hearing that, it made me really think about how I want to be remembered, and being a strong activist is something I’d want to be seen as.

I went into this café thinking a lot about something I read in one of our required readings by Susan Preston & Jordan Aslett. It said there is “An increased focus on viewing students as ‘entrepreneurial learners’ rather than critical thinkers…” (503), which really stuck with me. We’re paying several pretty pennies to be at Ryerson furthering our education in hopes to get “good jobs”. Yet, it seems like the more money we give to our university (already on top of our tuition fees) the better out future outcomes will be.

Going with what’s exemplified in this Instagram post, students are being seen more as “shoppers” and not as what we are: students. Preston & Aslett also states that students are taken as “potential contributions to the greater public good and supports market commitments to benefit capital.” (503)

A post shared by Ben Mitchell (@0siderius) on Nov 17, 2015 at 9:46pm PST

Hearing from each panelist about their work and how they address neoliberalism within the public education system made me extremely thankful. It was amazing to see (and know) that there are public educators actually educating people and students about a topic that often goes unspoken. From Dr. Audrey Hudson’s Hip-Hop & Convergence Culture course to Dr. RM Kennedy’s strike involvement and Susanne Nyaga’s social media activism awareness, it makes me feel like we are steps closer to fighting these issues.

One thing that came up a lot during the presentations and panel discussion was the aspect of ‘self-care’ and ‘caring about others.’ As Nyaga said, it’s not about ‘bubble baths and painting your nails’, but finding what you care about and informing (yet not educating) others who question it.

In Hudson’s work, caring is about knowing where you come from and how your work is often affected by it. It’s how to give back to the place(s) that influenced you and having compassion towards the people you are representing. To Kennedy, it’s about standing up for people who may not have the same voice you do. Having full-time contract professors being there with contract professors during the strike, showed that people are willing to fight for justice regardless of what would happen to them – because they care about the results.

With Jeppesen, caring is about giving people a place to speak for what is right. Campaigns like #METOO and #BLM-TO are all ways to give activists a space to show how much they care and influence others to care as well. Nyaga explained the care, to her, is standing with people who are being affected by injustice. If you’re able to speak your mind online, yet don’t defend anyone in person, you shouldn’t be saying you “care.”

So how do we defeat nay-sayers, ignorance, and instructo-bots? Dream big! Every panelist said that dreaming big about what you can achieve as your role as an activist will bring you closer to your goal. Manifesting the dreams you have about defeating these zombies and doing it, is what you need to end the injustice.

Referenced Work
Preston, Susan and Jordan Aslett. “Resisting Neoliberalism from within the Academy: Subversion through an Activist Pedagogy”. Social Work Education, vol. 33, no. 4, 2014, pp. 502-518.

The Activism Lab Speaker Series. What exactly is the meaning behind the word “Activism”. On February 6^th 2018, students of Ryerson University were able participate in a Activism lecture. Students had the opportunity to listen and engage to many guest speakers and their intake on how they individually created a change in our community. Ryerson University has already created a platform where they have branded theirselves as Canada’s most comprehensive innovation university. Ryerson has also promoted the idea of creativity and entrepreneurship by having a numerous amount of clubs and groups allowing students to feel comfortable while undertaking a post secondary or masters degree. During the first portion of the Lab we had a guest speaker who is apart of the Activist research in the disability group and introduced the purpose of her discussion. Being disabled, she disccused the factors she had to face and more importantly that she had a voice. Among her we had four other guest speakers who were apart of The Activism Lab panel. Audrey Hudson is an artist, educator, researcher and is a teacher at the University of Ontario College of Arts. She believes that art is the way to bring education to younge people. Throughout her speech Audrey discusses about “special acts”, and how she can be in an institution and not feel invited. Adurey also discusses the many factors that revolve around Hip-hop’s origins and the political views of how’s it’s looked down up as a negative impact in the world.

Anna Kennedy is a college professor that fights for academic freedom. Kennedy discussed the actions she’s taken in Toronto to improve academics. During the strike Kennedy had a huge role in protesting for the students so their voices can be heard.

Sandra Jefferson is a professo at Lake Head University and is also the chair in transforming media. She’s been interested in having a positive influence in peoples lives, and believes in the power of words. Sandra has conducted her studies of media with students to allow them to grasp certain concepts in understanding the work force.

Susanna is the president of Ryerson University. Being a black activist student she believes everyone one deserves a equal chance and not be based on their religion, gender and especially skin colour. She is a social media activism and is involved in many campaigns that promote the Ryerson student life.

Listening to all these gust speakers made me realize they all had something in common, they’re all fighting for a change. However, out of all the guest speakers I was able to relate to Adurey the most. Growing up I was always a visual learner and listening to Adurey allowed me to relate to her on a personal level, as she educates through art. Growing up in a Caribbean household, I understood many of the topics she was discussing that revolved around making urban topics more relevant schools. This also allowed me to tie in RTA 893 Social Justice Media, as many of the reading disuses the legal issues and topics that are relevant in understanding culture.

‘The ARTivism Lab Speaker Series’ aims to showcase a diverse group of activists, all of whom are working to creatively foster a community which challenges the dominant hegemony present within their environment. The first event of this year’s series, titled ‘Dreaming Big’, focused primarily on notions of progressive thought and intersectional action within the university framework. In introducing the event, moderator and professor Melanie Panitch highlighted Ryerson’s attempts to brand itself as ‘innovative’. However, such innovation is often viewed and initiated through a wider lens of productivity. As such, through its prioritization of efficiency, Ryerson takes on the qualities of a neoliberal academy. Such matters were explored throughout the discussions of the panelists. 

One concept that re-appeared throughout the evening, was the understanding that knowledge is not just a result of attending an educational institution. Just as knowledge is diverse, so are its sources. As put by panelist Sandra Jeppesen, it is important to both recognize and value that knowledge comes from all experiences, and not only those that involve a PhD. The significance of experience was also stressed by Audrey Hudson, who’s work revolves around Hip-Hop’s ability to expose and discuss race, colonization and representation. As a medium dependent on the lived experiences of minority voices, it can be used as an educational tool to bring attention to typically silenced identities. Experience and its relation to knowledge and education can also be seen in the work of Tania Bruguera. As an art activist, she uses public performance to bring attention to issues of power and control primarily in Cuba. Both an artist and an educator, Bruguera focuses on the education and information that comes through conversation. She stresses the importance of art, in educating others of one’s own personal experience. As a whole, great importance should be placed in listening to the experiences of those around us, for that is what will drive artivism forward.

As a panel consisting of activists, much of the work being discussed acted in opposition to the neoliberal framework. Opposing such framework and the constraints it applies on the education system directly, is RM Kennedy. As a college professor, RM played an active role in protesting for the rights of college faculty within their recent strike. Their biggest concern being the rise of precarious labor and the loss of academic freedom among professors. RM’s fight was reflective of the effects of neoliberalism, discussed further by Susan Preston and Jordan Aslett. As a way to turn profit, colleges are continually adopting more contractual staff. Not only are such faculty members paid less, they also lack the job security given to full-time staff. Similar to RM, Audrey Hudson’s work also contradicts key principles of neoliberalism. As put forward by Hudson, “neoliberalism negates community”. Her work has strong ties within the community, whereas neoliberalism typically focuses on the role of the individual. As a whole, neoliberalism and activism exist in opposition. Art can be used as a medium to communicate the tension between these two conflicting forces.

Finally, the words of RSU’s head Susanne Nyaga strongly resonated with my personal experience here at Ryerson. Susanne drew attention to the danger of speaking for a culture which is not your own; despite one’s intention. Here at Ryerson, great focus is placed on speaking to identities which have typically been silenced in the university setting. However it is important that in doing so, such conversations and initiatives take place through thoughtful collaboration. In my third semester, I was part of a fashion event planning class which worked to put on a fashion show on gender fluidity. No one in the class was non-conforming, and minimal (if any) effort was put into collaborating with those who were. Such initiative was harmful, as it attempted to showcase an experience and voice which was not our own. Upon speaking with the professor, we were successful in changing the theme of the event to something more fitting for the class. While it was a well-intentioned idea, there was simply not enough time to pursue it thoughtfully or genuinely. 

Works Cited
“Education is always about the future: An Interview With Tania Bruguera”, Temporary Art Review 2017

Preston, Susan, & Aslett, Jordan, “Resisting Neoliberalism from with the Academy: Subversion Through an Activist Pedagogy” Social Work Education, 2014 Vol. 33, No. 4, 502–518

The diverse panelists, Dr. Audrey Hudson, Dr. Sandra Jeppesen, Dr. RM Kennedy and Susanne Nyaga, individually spoke about the social change they are heavily involved in. The event was meant to inspire others to also become involved in the social change they would like to see in their communities. We were shown the concrete ways in which education led to an actual change from the new courses that were created by Dr. Audrey Hudson to educate OCAD students on the evolutionary role of hip-hop to how Dr. RM Kennedy helped in leading the strike for educators to be compensated fairly which ultimately resulted in changing legislation. The event’s audience left inspired by the social activism of the panelists and how they created real change within the neoliberal society we are all a part of.

The overall theme of the evening was to dream big, meaning, despite the way things are now, we should always think of making the world a better place for ALL people. Finding, carving out and establishing a space for yourself and others in a world that was not designed for equal opportunity was a message that each panelist expressed. We were also urged to reimagine the role of the university and education as an economic driver but also as a tool to solve social problems that our community faces.

The speakers wanted to share the idea that when we learn about and acknowledge different intersectionalities we can then work on ways to equalize opportunities for everyone despite uncontrollable factors such as race, gender, and class to name a few.

The panel discussed how we can centralize our voices in ways that were not possible before through the power of social media. Each of the panelists voiced the ways in which their intersectionality can be creatively expressed and how those expressions can educate others on the challenges, discrimination, and disadvantages they face. Through this expression, whether it be music, fashion, visual art or spoken word, we can enlighten and share with others the everyday struggles and disadvantages those without privilege face.

Factoring in the intersectionality into the way we interact with one another on a daily basis is how we can elicit real change. Challenging the social normalities that discourage equality is one of the ways we can accommodate those that do not have the equal opportunities that

The event brought together students and educators who were interested in social justice to create change. The discussion of what challenges certain marginalized groups face and what change needs to happen to create a more inclusive society is a dialogue that is necessary in order to actualize said change.

How can change happen if we are not aware of the ways we need to change? Personally, I believe that educating people on the issues they might not be directly affected by is the first step in social equality. The creative ways we can educate is through music, spoken word, blogging, photography, film and much more can and have sparked a social revolution.