What does social justice mean to you?
Social justice is about fighting for people who have been and are being marginalized, it’s about understanding how to step-up/in and plug in where you can most effectively facilitate change. It’s also about knowing when and what to use your voice for, and knowing how to create space to allow for others to be heard. It’s why I dig organizing with SURJ Sacramento, it gives me the chance to lift where I am most needed.
(Stevie Cook, pictured to the right of SJPC Program Manager Andi Bianchi)
Why are you involved in social justice?
Because of experiencing injustice during my childhood, and because of witnessing injustice personally. Especially during my teenage years, I became dedicated to empowering young people to fight white supremacy. I organize to give young folx the ability to activate to create racial justice, in a way that I was not fully able to as a young person. If young people can learn to organize against white supremacy culture in their youth there is a greater potential for creating a better world, and I want that for our community and my own children’s future.
How do you self care to keep fighting for social justice?
Exercise is huge for me, as is watching comedy, listening to music and dancing, and spending time with friends, especially in nature. I also think that using journaling and freestyle writing to get out all of your creative ideas is really helpful and healthy. I’m also a huge fan of getting a massage!