Interviews with individuals sharing their personal experiences and defining moments on their journey to work for social justice in the ways that they do. Sharing can include stories about people or experiences that were influential in forming their current social/political analysis and activism/solidarity at the individual, interpersonal, or macro level, as well as work/community accomplishments that were transformative for them on their journey. Interviews for episodes from this perspective can also include stories about how they’ve worked to interrupt and resist the impacts of internalized oppression to move toward liberation in consideration of their marginalized identities and/or how they have, from their places of privilege, sought to betray the systems that grant those privileges and work for liberation as well.
Jouapag Lee, a passionate advocate for social justice, healing, and liberation, shares her personal journey and motivations. She reflects on pivotal experiences that shaped her activism, including a deeply personal incident of racial and gender-based harassment in college that drastically shifted her worldview and led her into organizing.
Relando sits down with Surabhi Pandit, Macro Social Worker, equity advocate, and personal friend, to discuss the powerful role leveraging her networks in student government to organize dialogues on race and equity at The University of Michigan School of Social Work had on her journey.
In this heartfelt and inspiring episode of ‘Social Justice Origin Stories,’ we sit down with Dr. Chasity Bailey-Fakhoury to explore the personal experiences and pivotal moments that shaped her commitment to equity and social justice. As a former Detroit public school teacher and now a professor at Grand Valley State University, Dr. Bailey-Fakhoury delves into the lessons learned from her grandmother, the challenges faced during her early years, and the powerful influence of Black educators in her life.