That’s a wrap for this year. Many thanks to the storytellers who have contributed to this project and helped to give it life through their sharing. And thank you for listening, watching, and sharing their stories. Let’s hold our people close. Remember that people have always resisted and worked for liberation. It will remain even more critical for us to share and spread our stories in the days and years to come.
Chelsea Pratt, a scholar and practitioner in higher education focusing on inclusive and sustainable organizational cultures, workplace well-being, and addressing workplace trauma, discusses the profound impact of trauma and identity in the workplace. She speaks on the traumatic effects of ignoring harmful identity-based incidents both inside and outside our workplaces, especially for people who live at the intersection of multiple forms of oppression.
Arc Telos “Tay” Saint Amour (they/them) shares the roots of their social justice origin story, discussing experiences including the impact of childhood abuse, violence, abandonment, and systemic oppression on them as a trans, queer, and neurodivergent person. In connecting how their earlier experiences informed their approach to activism for social justice, Tay also explores the role of shame in preventing social progress and growth at the individual, institutional, and societal levels. Tay calls for us all to engage in the work of being honest with ourselves, critical of ourselves and our systems; highlighting the importance of storytelling in driving social justice and the importance of introspection and openness in creating a more equitable world. They also urge listeners to truthfully engage with their own stories and to consider future generations in their actions.
From her early experiences watching the women in her family to discovering the writings of James Baldwin through his book ‘Another Country’ and the awakening that followed, and the emotional impact of hearing Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Mountaintop speech, Leticia Peguero shares significant moments and influences that shaped her journey into social justice work.
Her storytelling of how she “fell into coaching” connects her personal experiences, her career in philanthropy, and her passion for and transformative work with coaching women of color. She talks about the work of depersonalizing internalized oppression by asking important questions like: “How much of this is personal, and how much is systemic? What is mine to hold? and What belongs to the system?”
Dr. Monique Alicia Gamble, a Southerner, a Queer Black woman, a digital storyteller, and an assistant professor of political science at a public HBCU in Washington, D.C., shares the significance of storytelling in her academic and creative work, focusing on elevating the stories of people who exist on the margins, particularly those of Queer Black women.
DEI Practitioner, Health Equity advocate, Educator, and lover of STEM Courtney Holland shares how her experiences spending Saturdays at a union hall for auto workers with her father in Detroit and her academic and cultural awakening after taking an Introduction to African American Studies as an undergraduate student laid the foundation for her current understanding of equity issues and her commitment to social justice.
She speaks on the essential role of culturally relevant education, the power of sharing our collective narratives, the complexities of doing DEI work within a capitalistic framework, and the journey of sitting with anger in social justice work.
I’m starting Social Justice Origin Stories because I believe in the liberating effects of social justice education. I also want to support justice-seekers in finding community and feeling less alone in the face of relentless oppressive systems. I hope this project can be a source of support, reflection, and inspiration for those who are thinking through how they can best contribute to the work. We need all who can, to do what they can. But I also want to acknowledge something important: not everyone is able to share their story right now. For various reasons, some of us may be unable to share or speak at the moment..
In this episode, Relando is joined by longtime friend, Dr. O’Juan Edwards, who, in describing his journey to complete his Ph.D, shares a heartfelt memory of how a chance meeting with Coretta Scott King profoundly influenced his social justice journey. In his storytelling, Dr. Edwards weaves connections to how her life and the legacy of the King family continue to inspire and inform his approach to equity leadership, including the creation of his new business, The Outstanding One Solutions, LLC. He also discusses how that chance encounter influenced his decision to complete his dissertation research, which focused on the experiences of Black Chief Diversity Officers at predominantly white institutions during the anti-Critical Race Theory movement.
Barre Jones did not always have an understanding of systemic injustice. In this episode, Barre shares how his moments of activation were sparked during his time in the military, where he felt like he was on the wrong side of the ropes after being sent into Baltimore during the uprising after the murder of Freddie Gray. From his upbringing in Baltimore, Maryland, to his military service and experiences with racial discrimination, Barre’s story emphasizes that while contributions to equity work can vary, they are all valuable.
Dr. JaeRan Kim, associate professor of Social Work and Criminal Justice at the University of Washington, talks about the origins of her non-linear path to Social Work and her dedication to social justice, shaped by her personal experiences as a transracial and transnational adoptee from Korea.
