On February 21, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Templeton Hall, the annual Be the Change event will take place. Started in 2017 before being paused by COVID-19 and a lack of leadership, this event was brought back last year and its success has prompted the event to re-occur annually.
A full day of education and action related to social justice, Be the Change involves a series of breakout workshops in a variety of social issues. The first workshop involves a political education piece where participants will get the chance to hear from educators, experts or activists in the particular justice topic on the contours of the problem and what is already working to tackle it. The second workshop involves identifying tangible action steps with organizers so each participant walks away with real steps to take in the area of passion.
Be the Change seeks to create educated, active citizens and members of our community who do far more than simply talk about social justice – they embody the social change they wish to see. Participants will leave with a network of justice-minded people who are already “being the change” in a variety of areas, providing necessary encouragement.
Last year’s event had a turnout of ~50 people and took place in the Eagle Great Room, with breakout sessions in Centennial. This year, organizers are hoping for an outcome of twice that with the extra space. Thanks to the construction of Templeton Hall and the new Clemens Hall auditorium, there is room to expand.
This year’s breakout sessions include borders & belonging, faith in labor, housing justice and violence & safety.
Borders and belonging will include a discussion of contemporary immigration issues, especially the relevant topics of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conduct and the problem of racial injustice in the field of immigration.
Faith in labor, meanwhile, will be led by the labor organizer Joshua Connerty and tackle questions related to the rise of artificial intelligence and its effect on labor, unionization efforts and the role of the church for workers everywhere.
Housing justice was a popular workshop topic last year, and its ongoing relevance prompted organizers to bring it back for a second year in a row. This workshop will include discussions of affordable housing, justice for unhoused individuals and what is already working in the movement of housing for all.
Violence and safety will deal with the reality of gun violence and the need for our communities to be safe. It will explore how safety can be achieved in neighborhoods using restorative justice practices and how we can all play a part in combating gun violence.
Interested students, faculty, staff or outsiders to the Eastern community can RSVP for the event using the below QR Code. Those who RSVP before February 13th have the chance to win a SEPTA Key Card and bundles of justice books! Volunteer opportunities abound for a chance to become more involved the day of the event. Breakfast and lunch are provided. See you there!
