This is Volume 3 of “For Those Who’ll Come After“, a special series from Social Justice Origin Stories. In this series, storytellers reach across time, sharing messages and reflections for future generations, sharing what they want them to know, remember, and carry forward in the ongoing pursuit of social justice.
This is Volume 3 of “Take This With You“, a special series from Social Justice Origin Stories. Storytelling is a gift, and in this series, storytellers reflect on what they hope stays with you after their episode ends. As you listen to their sharing, consider this moment as an invitation to reflect on your own journey. Visit the Weaving Our Voices section for more entries in this series, as well as other special series that bring the voices and collective wisdom of storytellers together.
No one gets to where they are by themselves, and this project would not exist without the collective wisdom of the storytellers who’ve shared their stories with us.
This is Volume 1 of “In Community”, a special series from Social Justice Origin Stories. This annual series brings together the voices of storytellers whose stories were published in a given year.
Many thanks to the storytellers who have contributed to this project and have trusted me and this space with their sharing.
This is Volume 3 of “The Justice We Imagine”, a special series from Social Justice Origin Stories. This series focuses on storytellers’ responses to three essential questions:
When is true social justice possible?
What shapes our approach to the work?
Why does understanding and sharing our social justice origin stories matter?
As you listen to their responses, reflect on what your answers might be.
Chinyere Neale reflects on a time in her life when the frustration she often felt toward well-meaning but uninformed white people who considered themselves allies in racial justice work became a mirror for her own growth. After attending an LGBTQIA+ ally training at work one day, she came to a humbling realization that she also had the capacity to be well-meaning but uninformed in a different way. The experience expanded her understanding of privilege and oppression, and influenced her approach to life as a “never-ending classroom”.
As a retired global public health educator from Detroit with a multifaceted career, Chinyere reflects on her upbringing in segregated Detroit, her passion for music and the arts, her role as a sexual health educator, and what led her to finally embrace being seen as a teacher. Her storytelling speaks to the importance of authenticity, keeping joy a priority in movement work, and remembering that we all have a role to play in working for social justice.
