What Immigrant-Serving Nonprofits Need Funders to Understand After the 2016 Election

Black, Brown, and Powerful

#ChallengeIneq Newsletter

In this newsletter, our very first, we share glimpses of our work…

The Making of A Movement

Funmilola Fagbamila, our 2017 Activist-in-Residence, discusses the inception of the Black Lives Matter movement, the importance of recalling and writing this history, and the transformation of social justice activism under […]

Video Highlights “From the Frontlines of Justice”

We are pleased to share a highlight video from our event “From the Frontlines of Justice” that took place on January 18, 2017 at UCLA’s Ackerman Grand Ballroom.

On the evening of #J18, we gathered at UCLA to celebrate ongoing struggles for social justice and to affirm their urgent relevance in the face of this current national and global moment. Let it be known that, as a place of teaching and learning, we did not bear silent witness to the politics of hate and fear, that we stood up to proclaim the power of knowledge on the frontlines of justice.

To inspire and guide us, we had the following speakers and artists:

Patrisse Cullors,

Co-Founder of #BLACKLIVESMATTER, Founder & Board Member of Dignity and Power Now, UCLA Alumna

Jeff Chang,

Author of We Gon’ Be Alright: Notes on Race and Resegregation and Executive Director, the Institute for Diversity in the Arts, Stanford University

Erika L. Sánchez,

Author of poetry collection Lessons on Expulsion and the novel I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter

Peter Sellars,

Distinguished professor in World Arts and Cultures/Dance, UCLA; opera, theater and festival director

Ilse Escobar,

Migrant, muxer, and activist born in Mexico and organizer in Los Angeles

Bryonn Bain,

Artist/activist, prison abolitionist professor developing UCLA’s prison education program, creator of Lyrics From Lockdown

Maya Jupiter,

Hip-hop artist, songwriter, co-founder of Artivist Entertainment

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About #J18

January 18, 2017, was a day to Teach, Organize, Resist. Transform classrooms and commons into spaces of education that protest policies of violence, disenfranchisement, segregation, and isolationism. Use the power of knowledge to challenge inequality and to build alliances for social justice. #J18 was a day of actions, ideas, dreams, dialogues, performances, alliances, plans, marches, and assemblies created by many in a multitude of spaces and places

#J18 was a call issued by departments, centers, and collectives at UCLA, including The UCLA Luskin Institute on Inequality and Democracy, RAVE or Resistance Against Violence through Education, African-American Studies, Chicana/o StudiesInstitute of American CulturesJustice Work Group, LGBTQ StudiesUCLA Labor Center, and The Undercommons.

The Audacity of ‘Woke’

The meaning of the word “woke” used to be so simple before modern culture co-opted it. It was the past tense of wake: to become conscious after sleeping. But in some circles “woke” has taken on a deeper meaning.

Video of “From the Frontlines of Justice”

We are delighted to share the complete video of “From the Frontlines of Justice” that was part of the #J18 Call to Action on January 18, 2017 at UCLA’s Ackerman Grand Ballroom.

About #J18 and Beyond

January 18, 2017, was a day to Teach, Organize, Resist. Poised between Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and the presidential inauguration, #J18 was an opportunity to affirm the role of critical thinking and academic knowledge in challenging Trumpism. On that day, we taught about the agendas and policies of the new administration, be it the proposed dismantling of economic and environmental regulations, and the threatened rollback of the hard-won rights that form the fragile scaffolding of American democracy. On that day, we organized against the proposed expansion of state violence targeting people of color, undocumented people, queer communities, women, Muslims, and many others. On that day, we resisted the institutionalization of ideologies of separation and subordination, including white supremacy, misogyny, homophobia, Islamophobia, and virulent nationalism.

#J18 was a day of actions, ideas, dreams, dialogues, performances, alliances, plans, marches, and assemblies created by many in a multitude of spaces and places.  Educators, students, and community partners were invited to plan programs and activities on that day.

Let it be known that on #J18 and beyond, universities, colleges, and high schools refused to bear silent witness to the politics of hate and fear; that in these times, these places of teaching and learning not only served as a sanctuary for its students and workers but also stood up to proclaim the power of knowledge on the frontlines of social justice.

#J18 was a call issued by departments, centers, and collectives at UCLA, including The UCLA Luskin Institute on Inequality and Democracy, RAVE or Resistance Against Violence through Education, African-American Studies, Chicana/o StudiesInstitute of American CulturesJustice Work Group, LGBTQ StudiesUCLA Labor Center, and The Undercommons.

Use the power of knowledge to challenge inequality and to build alliances for social justice. We will together build a platform that connects education and protest across the United States and links these to actions of solidarity in other parts of the world.

3 Truths About Trumpism

Truth is out of fashion. Truth is past its expiration date. The Oxford Dictionaries declared post-truth to be the 2016 Word of the Year. Here’s their official definition: an adjective […]

A Day of Teaching, Ideas and Action

By Stan Paul

The Institute on Inequality and Democracy at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs has designated Jan. 18 — two days before the inauguration of a new U.S. president — as a day of teaching, dialogue and performance at UCLA.

From the Frontlines of Justice

We invite you to join us at “From the Frontlines of Justice” at Ackerman Ballroom, UCLA, 5–7:30 p.m., on January 18, 2017.