Be an agent of change...
The "Voices of Justice" undergraduate class is an oral histories writing and performance course which includes meeting, interviewing and performing stories of members of LA advocacy agencies who work with social justice issues such as: human trafficking, immigration, homelessness, gangs/youth at-risk and restorative justice. Our students have found this experience to be transformative and life changing. Student feedback includes:
--"We were more than students in this class, we were advocates of transformative social justice"
--"As an artist I learned that it is our responsibility to speak up and out for others in an attempt to reach social justice. We can be the change"
--“ I can now say with full honesty that I am now personally impacted by homelessness issues, simply because I have a personal relationship with individuals who have had to deal with such things. Overall, I think this was such an advanced way of learning about such complex, important societal issues."
--"The ability to tell the stories of others greatly increased my passion for advocacy for those who do not always receive the recognition they deserve . . . it was the crowning moment of my education here, pulling together all the commitments and experiences of my time here."
--"I enjoyed how the experience was so authentic. We aren't "creating" stories of stereotypical homeless people or immigrants. Instead we are getting their real story told by them and turning it into something beautiful to share with others. It's awesome!"
--"The human connection component felt like the most fulfilling aspect of the class, allowing us to have a mutual exchange of storytelling and compassion"
--"The format of this class offered such a beautiful opportunity to build relationships with others in an intentional way, contributing to my understanding of kinship. It was such a privilege to even hear the stories, let alone having the opportunity to allow these stories to touch my heart and inspire fruitful creativity within me. But on top of all this, it was truly special to be able to offer these stories back to the story teller. Such a life-giving and transformative cycle and experience."
--"It is unlike anything I have ever experienced before. These people are often misunderstood, misjudged, and looked down upon, and I could tell that it gave all of them a sense of pride and validation to be able to have their voices heard the way they wanted them to be."
--"The hands on nature of this course really allowed me to get up close and personal with the people directly affected by this social justice issue and helped me understand the severity of the problem as well as experience how real the problem is."
2020-2021 Voices of Justice
ALEXANDRIA HOUSE
PROVIDENCE ST.JOSEPH HEALTH LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
2019-2020 Voices of Justice
ALEXANDRIA HOUSE
THE FRANCISCO HOMES