Mission:
Our mission is to bring scholar activists who have deep expertise on issues around social justice topics and hold identities that have been silenced and marginalized in our society, in order to bring more representation to this university. We also aim to provide access to larger conversations for students at Western to these kind of issues. Woodring has been working to carry out a similar vision for a long time now, and by extension those who teach and work here. This vision is to foster community relationships and a culture of learning that advance knowledge, honor diversities, and promote social justice.
Our mission is to bring scholar activists who have deep expertise on issues around social justice topics and hold identities that have been silenced and marginalized in our society, in order to bring more representation to this university. We also aim to provide access to larger conversations for students at Western to these kind of issues. Woodring has been working to carry out a similar vision for a long time now, and by extension those who teach and work here. This vision is to foster community relationships and a culture of learning that advance knowledge, honor diversities, and promote social justice.
The Justice Speaks History:
The Justice Speaks Series is housed in the Education and Social Justice Minor and is a
student of color-led effort that is made possible entirely through student fundraising. Nevertheless,
Justice Speaks has been able to offer our community, both on- and off-campus, the opportunity to
engage with brilliant activist-scholars who have deep expertise on issues that are relevant to
historically underrepresented and underserved communities in higher education. Justice Speaks
has been a vessel for us to contribute to the intergenerational struggle of shifting power imbalances,
decolonizing education, and ending institutional violence. Past events include such speakers as
Cherrie Moraga, Michael Dumas, Alexis Gumbs, Michael Vendiola, David Stovall, and Angela
Davis, which was our largest event with an attendance of over 1,000 attendees coming all the way
from Oregon and Canada.
This Spring 2018 our programming will focus specifically on teaching. We intend to
create space for educators of color, who are underrepresented in public schools and serving
increasing populations of students of color. Once in the profession, teachers of color often lack the
necessary institutional support needed to thrive. Our hope is that this conference can serve as an
opportunity to learn from and lean on one another, as educators of color, and engage in coalition-
building across schools and districts. We expect our efforts to contribute to addressing the dismal
teacher of color retention rate in Washington State by building community, providing support and
resources, and sharing knowledge (OSPI, 2017).
The Justice Speaks Series is housed in the Education and Social Justice Minor and is a
student of color-led effort that is made possible entirely through student fundraising. Nevertheless,
Justice Speaks has been able to offer our community, both on- and off-campus, the opportunity to
engage with brilliant activist-scholars who have deep expertise on issues that are relevant to
historically underrepresented and underserved communities in higher education. Justice Speaks
has been a vessel for us to contribute to the intergenerational struggle of shifting power imbalances,
decolonizing education, and ending institutional violence. Past events include such speakers as
Cherrie Moraga, Michael Dumas, Alexis Gumbs, Michael Vendiola, David Stovall, and Angela
Davis, which was our largest event with an attendance of over 1,000 attendees coming all the way
from Oregon and Canada.
This Spring 2018 our programming will focus specifically on teaching. We intend to
create space for educators of color, who are underrepresented in public schools and serving
increasing populations of students of color. Once in the profession, teachers of color often lack the
necessary institutional support needed to thrive. Our hope is that this conference can serve as an
opportunity to learn from and lean on one another, as educators of color, and engage in coalition-
building across schools and districts. We expect our efforts to contribute to addressing the dismal
teacher of color retention rate in Washington State by building community, providing support and
resources, and sharing knowledge (OSPI, 2017).