Using Power to Bring More Power to People: Education for Freedom and Justice with Mia Henry

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“The whole work of justice work is to bring power right? To everybody, regardless of their identities, right? That’s how I talk about social justice…And then justice work requires us to look at history, right? And repair the harms done by history, right?

For me, achievement of success in a resistance frame means that people have gotten power, some modicum of power within a system that has oppressed them. And they use that power to bring more power to people. It’s not just having it. It’s not just like, being the successful filmmaker or being the successful business owner or being the successful lawyer, or just getting your law degree.

How are you using that land we’ve been able to acquire? How are we using the power..the resources we’ve been able to acquire to bring more power to oppressed people?”

—Mia Henry

Mia Henry connects common threads between her training as an educator, the 29 Civil Rights tours she organized and led over the past 10 years, and her current work developing educational curriculum on resistance and social justice as the founder and CEO of Freedom Lifted, which offers justice-centered leadership development through online learning, training, and facilitation. 

The social justice origin story of Freedom Lifted emphasizes the importance of understanding power as an abundant resource, the critical work of using our power to bring more power to oppressed people, and drawing wisdom from stories of resistance throughout history when people have strived to create a world where power is shared for guidance on how we can better share power within our organizations and movements for justice.

Meet Mia

Mia Henry is the founder and CEO of Freedom Lifted, which offers justice-centered leadership development through online learning, training, and facilitation. With her unique and approachable style, Mia has created educational spaces and practical tools to support just and ethical leadership for hundreds of private, public, and non-profit organizations and more than 9,000 individuals.

Mia has deep experience leading organizations committed to promoting justice and equity, previously serving as Executive Director of the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership at Kalamazoo College and founding director of the Chicago Freedom School. She has also designed and led 29 educational travel tours to Civil Rights sites in the Deep South.

Drawing on her formal and informal education, Mia leads with special attention to shared values, clear and transparent processes, and building trust. All of the work at Freedom Lifted centers relationships and challenges communities to reflect deeply, act bravely, and imagine boldly.

Mia’s Hopes for Listeners

“I want them to be more curious, not less, about where they are in the long arc of freedom movements. I want to remind them that they are a part of an activist continuum and will not be the first or the last to do this work. Knowing this, I want them to ask themselves what are they best positioned to do? Lastly, I want them to be inspired to make education – the learning of history and frameworks – the bedrock of both institutional equity AND social movement efforts. Both inside and outside organizers need training and education.”

–Mia Henry

Name Drops, References, and Resources from Mia

National Civil Rights Museum in Menphis at The Lorraine Motel

Chicago Freedom School

Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership

Regina Moore Henry, Booker T Henry

Ella Baker

Book: Ella Baker and the Black Freedom Movement by Barbara Ransby

Septima Poinsette Clark

Book: The Long Haul: An Autobiography by Myles Horton

Movie: Selma

Ways to Connect with Mia and Freedom Lifted

Visit Freedom Lifted’s Website

Connect with Mia on Linkedin

Follow Freedom Lifted on Instagram

Episode Timeline

00:00 Introduction to Achievement and Resistance
00:26 Transition from Civil Rights Tours to Curriculum Development
01:00 Exploring the National Civil Rights Museum
02:26 Defining Resistance and Social Justice
04:30 The Role of Black-Owned Farms in the Civil Rights Movement
05:29 Introduction to Social Justice Origin Stories
08:26 Mia Henry’s Background and Inspiration
11:26 The Evolution of Freedom Lifted
17:34 Challenges and Learnings in Running Freedom Lifted
27:36 Connecting Identity, Power, and Oppression
32:26 The Importance of Power in Social Movements
36:16 Power Dynamics and Agency
36:46 Defining Power and Its Components
39:06 The Importance of Agency in Organizations
41:49 Historical Context and Justice Work
46:18 Personal Reflections and Inspirations
52:49 Influences and Legacy
01:11:23 Final Thoughts and Wisdom

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Social Justice Origin Stories is produced, edited, and hosted by Relando Thompkins-Jones