We are excited to announce the 2015 Critical Social Justice Calendar of Events!

February 16th | Monday

CSJ 101: Introduction to Brave Spaces – 12PM to 1:30PM in Commons 329 – A fishbowl conversation on defining, navigating, and creating brave spaces. Event sponsored by: Women’s Center and Mosaic Center. Facebook, myUMBC

February 17th | Tuesday

Activism: What Works and What Doesn’t – 4PM to 5PM in Public Policy 208 – A presentation and discussion on how to organize and strategize for social movements. Event sponsored by: Amnesty International. myUMBC

February 18th | Wednesday

Women’s Center Occupies Main Street – 11AM to 2PM on Main Street in the Commons – Celebrating the multi-pronged mission of the Women’s Center as both a space for community building and comfort, as well as a space of social justice activism and brave space dialogues, the Center will be taking over Main Street with activities, crafts, campaigns, and refreshments. Event sponsored by: Women’s Center. Facebook, myUMBC

A Socio-Cultural Dialogue: The Immigrant’s Tale – 12PM to 1PM in the Mosaic Center – Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc. invites students, staff, and faculty to discuss their experiences with immigration to the United States. Because immigration is not often discussed openly, we would like to create a safe and brave space where people can do just that and where people can also learn more about immigration. Event sponsored by: Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc.

Social Justice Pedagogy: Tensions, Triggers, & Teachable Moments – 3PM to 4PM in Sherman 220A – An interdisciplinary faculty panel discussion on pedagogical approaches to cultivating safe and/or brave spaces for learning and social justice engagement. Panelists include: Dr. Kate Drabinski, Gender and Women’s Studies; Dr. April Householder, Gender and Women’s Studies and McNair Scholars Program; Dr. Jodi Kelber-Kaye, Honors College; Dr. Donald E. Knight, Psychology; and Dr. Dena T. Smith, Sociology and Anthropology. Event sponsored by: Women’s Center. myUMBC

Let’s Talk About It: The Health Crisis Affecting the African American Community – 5PM to 7PM in Lower Flat Tuesdays – Lecture and discussion with Dr. Shawn Bediako (Psychology) and Dr. Erica Taylor (Africana Studies). Light refreshments provided. Event sponsored by: Flat Tuesdays, University Health Services, National Society of Black Engineers, and Student Life’s Mosaic Center. myUMBC

Creating Brave Stages – 5PM to 7:30PM in UC 310 – Workshop and discussion with Jasmine Blanks of Everyman Theater on integrating social justice and theater. Event sponsored by: Critical Social Justice Student Alliance, Women’s Center, Women of Color Coalition. myUMBC Facebook

Franchesca Ramsey: Your Powerful Online Voice: Social Media For Social Change – 7:30PM to 10PM in the UC Ballroom – Franchesca Ramsey’s keynote lecture for CSJ 2015 will be about using the the internet as a platform for social justice activism. A Q&A session and reception will also follow the lecture. Doors open at 7pm. Free and open to the public. Event sponsored by: Women’s Center and Mosaic Center. Facebook, myUMBC

February 19th | Thursday

Invisible Privilege (Made Visible) – 1PM to 3PM on Main Street in the Commons – The Mosaic Center hosts an exercise and discussion about recognizing the privileges that you hold–whether you are aware of them or not. Event sponsored by: Mosaic Center.

CSJ Reflection – 3PM to 4PM in the Mosaic Center – Come discuss what you learned from CSJ 2015 and tell us what you want to see next year. Event sponsored by: Women’s Center and Mosaic Center

Making Queer Spaces Brave Spaces – 7:30PM to 9PM in the Women’s Center –  Although there has been significant progress made in expanding the safe(r) spaces available for queer-identified people, there has also been a pervasive and troubling misconception that queer space is necessarily safe space. This fallacy often obscures the unfortunate reality that queer spaces are not always safe for certain people/groups/identities, and queer communities are not exempt from perpetuating oppression. This roundtable discussion will address some of the problems and barriers preventing many queer communities from being truly safe and inclusive spaces. The program will also focus on how attendees can make changes in their own lives and advocate an intersectional approach to social justice in queer communities. Event sponsored by: Student Life’s Mosaic: Culture & Diversity Center and The Women’s Center at UMBC​. myUMBC Facebook.

February 20th | Friday

The Aftermath: Supporting Students of Color in Times of Crisis – 4PM to 5PM in the Mosaic Center – UMBC staff and faculty are invited to join this conversation about how we as a University and Division can show adequate support for students of color when it comes to racial issues on and off campus and in the media. During this conversation we will use Ferguson, Eric Garner, and the protests held on campus to highlight and share anything we did for our students in those moments or wish we would have done differently. There will also be a brainstorming session for things we would like to do moving forward to support ALL of our students including black, brown, white allies, and otherwise during high tension times of civil unrest in our country. Event sponsored by: Student Affairs: Staff Development Committee

Ask Big Questions Shabbat Dinner: “When are you brave?” –  6:15PM to 7:30PM on Main Street in the Commons – Students, faculty, and staff are invited to come together and share their experiences and a meal. The big question for tonight’s dinner is “When are you brave?” All are welcome to attend this event. Event sponsored by: UMBC Hillel

All Week

CSJ Art Gallery – Commons Mezzanine Gallery
(artist statements available here)

Critical Social Justice organizers Jess Myers, Zach Kosinski, and Jasmine Malhotra share a few of their thoughts on activism, their personal and professional experiences as activists, and social media’s role in activism.

JASMINE: I think about the feelings of social justice activism as being something that infuses within all parts of your life. Social justice activism involves how you interact with others, being able to actively listen and respect other options while sharing your knowledge and experience. It is about making any space into a brave space so individuals can be okay in having uncomfortable conversations in an effort to really understand each other’s opinion. Social activism can be expressed by people asking for change, protesting, or informing others. Social media can be one of the outlooks they use but there are many other ways they can practice their activism to cultivate change and make a true difference.

JESS: I agree with you, Jasmine, about the importance of both-and in activism.  Through my  research related to better understanding the strategies employed by activists involved in the movement to address sexual violence prevention and response on college campuses, I am learning that these activists are truly using the both-and approach. These local and national activists have repeated time and time again that social media is not their activism but that social media is a TOOL for their activism. They described using social media as a means to connect with other activists, as a tool for reducing power dynamics present in other spaces, and to increase awareness with populations who may not otherwise be reached. Consequently, I’ve become more critical with the discourse around “slacktivism.” Who gets to define what activism is and isn’t? Dynamics of power and privilege related to social identities influence who gets to “be” an activist and define themselves as activists. This year’s Critical Social Justice theme of Creating Brave Spaces resonates with me in so many ways but specifically because creating brave spaces online (and off-line) helps build counter-spaces and tells counter-narratives.

ZACH: Over the past year, I’ve also experienced a shift in how I view my role as an activist and agent for social change. For years, I felt that engaging in social justice work required an “all in at all times” approach. Being more of a homebody outside of work and school, though, attending protests and rallies has never come naturally to me. For so long, I beat myself up for finding reasons not to march with my peers. Over the past few months, I’ve seen countless UMBC students I connect with on campus take a stand on social justice issues important to them. In discussions about their activism, time and time again, students have referenced articles I shared, speakers I helped bring to campus, and critical conversations we had that helped inform the activism they’re presently engaged in. Experiencing these students’ activism, I’ve seen how playing the roles of encourager, connector, resource, and supporter is not only meaningful but necessary to critical activist work. I may not be taking to the streets or expounding from the proverbial soapbox, but helping cultivate the student activists who will is just as essential.

JESS: Yes, Zach! As someone who identifies as an introvert, I sometimes feel conflicted about how to show up in social justice work and conversations. Over the past few years and through a lot of challenge by choice, I’ve learned what kind of activism allows me to challenge oppression and address social justice concerns in a way that authentic to me and my being. We all have an important role to play using our own strengths and passions. If I try to be someone I’m not in doing this work, I’ll most likely fail.

For more reflections from Critical Social Justice organizers, check out this blog post on self-care and social justice.