Schools Across Los Angeles Unite For Social Justice Conference

Press release from New Roads School:

March 26, 2021

Administrators and community leaders from the Los Angeles Unified H.E.E.T Network, Audubon Middle School, Bret Harte Middle School, Mirman School, New Roads School, ReThink It, and Westside Neighborhood School brought 75 middle school students together for a first-of-its-kind social justice conference on Thursday, March 25.

“This conference is meant to amplify the voices of our middle school students and encourage them to liberate and transform themselves, their schools, and the world so that they thrive,” said LAUSD Director of Community Transformation, Anthony Jackson. Luthern Williams, Head of School at New Roads School echoed a similar sentiment, “...in this conference, we are cultivating BIPOC young people to be the vanguard who will advance racial equity, starting in their own schools, and the 'unfinished' work of America.”

Designed to ignite the power of students to become agents of social change now, “In the Middle of the Movement: The Revolutionary Act of Collective Freedom Dreaming, Planning, and Doing” offered middle school students a day of connecting, brainstorming, and networking with one another by way of music, spoken word performances, keynote speakers, and panel discussions featuring Ericka Huggins, former leader of the Black Panther Party, and activist David Turner, manager of the “Brothers, Sons, Selves Coalition,” all within the context of “Topia,” a virtual world and spatial media platform built exclusively for BIPOC attendees by award winning animator and author of the “Heroes of Color” series, David Heredia.

“My hope is that these students understand that this conference is solely about them…and it’s powerful for adults to learn from how young people are reacting to the world around them,” said Mr. Heredia. Click here to learn more about Topia.

A student from Westside Neighborhood School shared that “it’s not only adults who are facing these types of problems and even though we’re younger, we still understand what’s going on in the world around us and we can make a difference despite our age.”

"This conference will empower our students...to build a consciousness that creates action against systems that facilitate racism, and to understand that their youth, their education, and their commitment — that is their strength,” said Rita Anne Smith, Associate Director of Admissions at Mirman School.

“The fight for social justice cannot and should not happen in isolation. No matter where you live or what school you attend, we believe in Ubuntu - ‘I am because we are.’ That’s one of the main messages of this conference,” said Dr. Tunette Powell, Director of Equity, Inclusion, and Community at Mirman School.

“The movement of our world is circular, therefore our world will always be a ‘we.’ This event lets us evolve to revolve together,” said Dr. Dechele Byrd, Director of Community Schools Transformation, HEET Community Schools.

In its inaugural year, “In the Middle of the Movement” will be exclusive to 7th and 8th Grade students of color.

This press release was produced by New Roads School. The views expressed here are the author's own.