2024-2025 Workshops

Thank you to all presenters and attendees to this years workshops! The conversations that took place in these rooms were amazing!

Ethnic Studies in Seattle Schools

This workshop will cover the history of Ethnic Studies in the US, then its history in Seattle. Presenters will tell you what ES is not, and then tell you what it is. Presenters will cover four themes: Identity, Power & Oppression, Resistance & Liberation, and Action. They will demonstrate the benefits of Ethnic Studies in Seattle Public Schools, then walk attendees through the basics of constructing or transforming a lesson into Ethnic Studies.

Presenters: Bruce Jackson, Educator, Ethnic Studies Advisory Group for Seattle Public Schools, Amanda Hubbard, Educator, Ethnic Studies Advisory Group for Seattle Public Schools, Tracy Castro-Gill, Head of the Ethnic Studies Department in Seattle Public Schools

Bystander Intervention Experimentation

Harassment and hate speech are on the rise across the country.  Effective intervention is difficult and risky.  In this interactive, immersive workshop, participants practice intervention strategies and learn what works and what doesn't.  We will use role playing, interactive games and follow-up discussion to begin to reprogram our automatic 'fight/flight/freeze' reactions and learn to safely, respectfully de-escalate tense situations. This workshop is informed by Theatre of the Oppressed.

Presenter:  Rev. Andrew Conley-Holcom, Admiral UCC is a trained violence prevention educator, DV/SA survivor advocate, and holds an MA with a concentration in genocide studies, and an Mdiv with a concentration in ethics in social movements.

MLK and Militarism

Speakers from Veterans For Peace honors will discuss militarism. They will describe Dr. King’s related work, offer veteran perspectives, and define militarism. Presenters will describe how militarism intersects with the exploitation of black bodies and other ethnic minorities who are targeted for recruitment via the poverty draft. They will put current militarism in the historical context of genocide and slavery.

Presenter: Phoenix Johnson, President Seattle VFP - Native American US Air Force Veteran, EDI/Militarism/Indig Relations Consulting Public Speaker & Educator, Darren Lewis, Vice President Seattle VFP - Black LQBTQI Navy Veteran, Informed Recruitment speaker, Presenter:Sheila Palaruan, Secretary Seattle VFP - Philippinno Navy Veteran, Youth Counselor

I Have Been to the Mountaintop: Poets Reflect on “the Difficult Days Ahead”

4-5 poets will select and perform original poetry and prose regarding major issues that should matter in 2020. Poets will perform material to widen perspectives and emphasize issues such as immigration, hate crimes/groups, climate change, extinctions, blue on black homicides, gentrification, homelessness, hope, etc.

Presenters:

Jacqueline (Jaye) Ware, Member, African American Writers’ Alliance, Writer, Poet, Spoken Word Artist.  Anthology; Voices That Matter, CJ Dudley, Poet, Spoken Word Performer, Pianist, Vocalist, Author.  Book and CD:  Letters To A Blind Man, Colin Corpe, Poet, Spoken Word Artist,  Jen Soriano and Georgia McDade.

The Truth About Hate Groups and Hate Crimes

The workshop includes references to the explosive growth of hate groups in Seattle and Washington State over the past five years and highlights how, by getting beyond stereotypes and judgments, we cultivate deeply meaningful and enduring relationships across all cultural lines.

Presenter: Lonnie Lusardo is author of The Anatomy of Organized Hate: Stories of Former White Supremacists - and America's Struggle to Understand the Hate Movement. As founder of The Diversity Collaborative, Lonnie has led nationwide cultural competency training for government agencies and corporations since 1991.

Opportunities for Empowerment

The CIRCC team of presenters will provide participants with crucial information on three critical areas impacting communities of color: Census 2020, tax reform and the regressive tax structure in Washington, and Elections 2020. These presentations will center the impact each will have on communities of color and how communities of color can respond and make an impact on each of these topics.

Presenters: Clarence Gunn

Coalition of Immigrants, Refugees and People of Color (CIRCC) Political Organizer, community advocate, and former union organizer, Bereket Kiros, CIRCC Co-Chair, Community, Immigrant and Refugees Advocate, Sameth Mell - CIRCC Program Director Advocate for immigrant and refugees rights and issues, Velma Veloria Former State Representative, advocate for minority communities for education, housing, and economic development

Know Your Rights

Staff and attorneys from the Civil Rights Division of the Attorney General’s Office and the City of Seattle’s Office of Civil Rights will present information about civil rights. They will discuss issues attendees have experienced and resources that may be helpful. (They will not be offering legal advice).

Presenters:Vanessa Salinas – Legal Assistant, Civil Rights Division, Office of the Attorney General, Chalia Stallings-Ala’ilima Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division, Office of the Attorney General, Marsha Chien - Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division, Office of the Attorney General, Erika Pablo – Civil Rights Strategic Advisor, Erin McIntire – Senior Investigator, Seattle Office of Civil Rights

Poor People’s Campaign Songwriting for Social Justice

A songwriters workshop centered around social justice and rooted in the perspective and experience of people impacted by poverty, systemic racism, ecological devastation, militarism, and religious antagonism. We hope to create music that reflects our experience and carries a movement of change.

Individuals will learn to write and sing songs inspired by their experience with poverty, systemic racism, ecological devastation, militarism, and religious antagonism. 

Presenters: Cameron Lavi Jones, Washington State Poor People's Campaign; Tae Phoenix, Community Singer Songwriter, WA Poor People's Campaign.

Name That Oppression

This workshop helps people to learn how to recognize systems of oppression (capitalism, colonialism, racism and patriarchy) and how intersecting oppressions have led to climate change.

Workshop attendees will practice identifying systemic oppression/s they see and discuss their conclusions.

Presenter: A Team from For the People leads this workshop on systems of oppression

Greenways, not Redlines

Why are some streets comfortable to walk on while others feel like death traps? Why are people more likely to die from traffic collisions in some parts of the region? How can we create equitable access to safe streets for people in all our communities? Join the presenters to explore connections to place and mobility, learn about the current inequities, and find ways to help create the streets our communities need.

Presenter: Robert Getch, Beacon Hill Safe Streets Chair; Brie Gyncil, Co-Leader, Central Seattle Greenways, Community Advocate; Whitney Johnson, member, Central Seattle Greenways; Andrew Kiddie, Chair, Rainier Valley Greenways Safe Streets; Rachael Ludwick, Beacon Hill community advocate; Enrico Doan, Rooted in Rights

We Need to Talk: Solving for Native Homelessness

Through a facilitated discussion, participants will explore the intersections of environment, class, and sovereignty. They will envision what indigenizing institutions towards equitable impacts might look like, and re-appropriate frameworks that are inclusive to Indigenous-identified people and their descendants who have been displaced. 

Presenters: Colleen Echohawk , Coalition to End Urban Indigenous Homelessness ; Matthew Lang, Transit Riders Union

Improved Medicare for All and Health Justice

Presenters will provide an overview of our health care current system, how it compares in terms of cost and performance with other wealthy nations and how minorities suffer the most unmet needs. We’ll look at the National Improved Medicare for All (NIMA) and the claims against it. We’ll compare and contrast NIMA with other current legislation. Attendees will learn how they can plug into health justice campaigns.

Presenters:Vonetta Molson-Turner, Mary Mahoney Nurses, Pam Dalan, RN – Nurse, health care reform activist - North Seattle Progressives, Steve Bauck – Union activist, leader - Puget Sound Advocates for Retirement Action, Ronnie Shure – Pharmacist, Vice President - Health Care for All – WA, Hugh Foy, MD – Co-Founder - Physicians for a National Health Program - Western WA

Moderator: David Loud

Support the Youth-led Movement for Racial Justice in Seattle 

Launched exactly two years ago at the 2018 MLK Celebration, the NAACP Youth Council (N-YC) has been working to change the reality of racial justice in Seattle. At this workshop, N-YC leaders will unveil their list of demands for year three, and share their progress on initiatives, including mandatory ethnic studies courses. Those attending will learn about these initiatives and how they can support N-YC in making their demands a reality. 

Presenters: Aneesa Roidad (Ballard); Julie Tan (Center School); Mia Dabney, Rena Mateja, Viviana Williams (Cleveland); Mwangi Payton (Edmonds-Woodway) LeVera Brown, Jaedyn Thomas (Franklin); Naima Said, Natanim Zeleke, Meklit Tesfay (Garfield); Milad Mesbahi (Ingraham); Nikai Makie (Interlake); Christa Chan (Nathan Hale); Thomas Foster, Lily Nguyen, Miracle Patu-Jackson, Angelina Imany Riley (Rainier Beach); Lavancia McClendon, Natalina Shega (Roosevelt); Nabbil Hassan (Sealth); Arwen Blazier, Erica Ijeoma (West Seattle); Aminah Adams, Isreal Presley, Cece Chan, Gian Nicholo Rosario (college mentors); Virginia Bethea, Sebrena Burr, Rita Green, Jon Greenberg, Sooz Stahl (adult mentors)

Building for Our Future

This workshop will focus on survival programs such as the food programs and crisis response networks. Together we will begin to develop ideas and strategy for meeting immediate needs in our communities therein impacting/changing our material conditions.

Presenters: Seattles People Party- Aretha Basu, Jerrell Davis, KJ Moon, Nikkita Oliver

Hip Hop & Activism

King Khazm and friends of 206 Zulu speak upon the legacy of Hip Hop as a transformative youth-led culture that has unified and empowered millions in the last 45 years and continues to expand as an intergenerational and international phenomenon. Learn about how Hip Hop is used in activism and how we can collectively build upon a movement for social change.

Presenter: Khazm Kogita- Zulu

Building Horizontal Power

A workshop looking at different models of assemblies from Rojava to Chile to the Zapatistas; to practice building horizontal power in our local communities and organizing projects; and also to support uprisings happening globally.- assembly to generate ideas for building internationalist assemblies locally to link solidarity for uprisings happening globally. 

Presenters: Avan Shwany is a Kurdish activist from the Kurdistan region of Iraq active with Rojava & Kurdish Solidarity Seattle; Valentina Gonzalez is a Chilean organizer and creative advisor, member of Solidarity without Borders, Seattle

14 Steps to Moral Fusion Organizing

The original Poor People’s Campaign (PPC) in 1967-68 was initiated by Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. MLK believed that the Three Evils of Systemic Racism, Poverty, and Militarism must be resolved to establish genuine justice and democracy. Today, the revived PPC is building a grassroots movement centered on people, negatively impacted by unjust and inhumane policies. The PPC added ecological devastation and the distorted moral narrative to the Campaign’s platform because these are major attacks on poor, working class, and disenfranchised communities. This training introduces people to our core values, and guiding principles. We propose a new approach to organizing that builds on the work of civil rights leaders and activists in our most successful movements. 

Presenter: Rev. Bianca Davis-Lovelace, PPC, REACH-Renton, UCC, Christina Brennan, PPC, Johnathan Hemphill, Nathan Black, PPC, Wayside UCC

Turn Up the Volume: Using Political Theater to Expose & Dismantle Symbols of Systemic Oppression

A narrative in 3 Acts, the presentation, "Turn Up the Volume: Using Political Theater to Expose and Dismantle Systemic Oppression," tells how New Orleans' Take Em Down NOLA Coalition successfully organized for the removal of four white supremacist statues in New Orleans. The presentation highlights facets of systemic oppression that the symbols embody. Facilitated by TEDN’s Co-founder and lead organizer, poet Michael “Quess?” Moore, who tells how his personal experience with white supremacist oppression inspired his involvement in the movement. Participants engage in a Story Circle exercise, which invites participants to politicize their own personal narratives. 

Presenter: Michael “Quess?” Moore is a poet, educator, actor, playwright and activist and a two-time national poetry slam winner.

Decriminalizing Fare Evasion & Winning “ORCA for All”

This workshop will discuss fare enforcement’s impact on riders. The director of Metro’s fare evasion program will answer questions about changes  to Metro’s policies. Black riders are disproportionately cited and fined for failing to pay. Unpaid fines and repeated citations can lead to debt collection and criminal misdemeanor charges. We’ll discuss: (1) the status of this work and how to get involved, (2) future programs and campaigns.

Presenters: Tye Reed, Transit Riders Union; Gabby Davis, Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County; Cathy Jimenez, King County Metro Fare Violation Program Manager; Anita Khandelwal, Director of King County Department of Public Defense

The Intersectionality of Racism, Gender-Based Violence and Mental Health

Gender-based violence continues to permeate our local, national, and even international society at large. Additionally, concerns around mental health and substance abuse are high priority social concerns. Misconceptions about these critical community issues contribute to increased prevalence, exacerbated issues, and lacking strategies/interventions to address these problems. Join us to start the conversation to address these issues.

Presenter: Trenecsia Wilson, Coalition Ending Gender-Based Violence

Life by Design, Not by Default

Health and wellness is not solely diet and exercise; it is intricately tied to the lifestyle choices, decisions made either individually or as a collective, that impact the way in which a person or group lives. Managing our lifestyle consists of a combination of tangible and intangible factors -- a way of life established by a society, culture, group or individual. It is these factors that directly or indirectly influence how we live our everyday lives. Our overall wellbeing is contingent upon lifestyle management and is enhanced by everyone having equal opportunity to reach his or her potential to live their best life. 

Presenter:  Sanura Dean, Soul Work, Lifestyle Management

U.S. Women and Cuba Collaboration                                                                                   

For 60 years, the US has had an economic, travel and information blockade against Cuba. Why? Because the US does not want you to know what participatory democracy looks like. Hear how the blockade hurts both the US and Cuban people. Learn how you can travel to Cuba despite the barriers the US continues to put up. Learn about the contributions that Cuba has given the world in providing healthcare and education around the world.

Presenters: Cindy Domingo; Moon Vazquez, Coordinating Committee, US Women and Cuba Collaboration; Xochitl Garcia, Medical graduate of Cuba's Latin American School of Medicine;  John Waller, Program Coordinator, Pastors for Peace;  Nyema Clark, coordinator, Nurturing Roots.

Labor’s Role in Advancing Justice

There cannot be economic justice without racial justice. Join together to discuss how the power of labor can be used to fight systemic racism as a tool the boss uses to divide working people.

We will cover how we have built cross racial solidarity in the labor movement in the past and how we will do so in the future to win racial and economic justice for everyone, be they white, black or brown

Presenters: Chris Lampkin, SEIU Healthcare 1199NW; Matt Haney, SEIU 6.

Architectural Trauma: The Weeping of the Soul

This interactive workshop asks: What happens when the places we live our lives disappear? We will discuss architectural trauma, the physical disruption of spaces and black models of community. Participants will consider when and how their ancestors came to America, what brought them to the Central District, how its changes have affected them and what we can learn from what happened.

Presenter:  Rev. Harriett Walden

Shut Down the Northwest Detention Center!

Shut down NWDC! 

Washington State has one of the largest detention centers on the West Coast- the Northwest Detention Center (recently rebranded as the NW ICE Processing Center). La Resistencia and a coalition of over 160 organizations are calling for the end of immigrant detention in our state. Join us to learn how immigrants are being imprisoned, and how privatizing their imprisonment generates insane profits and increases mistreatment. You can join our campaign to shut down NWDC once and for all!     

Presenters:   Maru Mora Villalpando, La Resistencia; ShaCorrie Tunkara, La Resistencia