The Power Up! 2015 Student and Youth Leadership Conference, hosted by the Social Justice Institute at Case Western Reserve University, will be held Saturday, April 11, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the University Circle United Methodist Church.
The full-day conference will feature Opal Tometi, executive director of the Black Alliance for Just Immigration and co-founder of #BlackLivesMatter. Tometi, along with student activist Rian Brown of Kalamazoo College, will kick off the conference with keynote speeches.
The day will begin with a discussion on “What is Social Justice?” followed by breakout sessions on grassroots communication strategies, student activism, a dialogue on what it means to be an ally, and an update on the “From Conversation to Action” read-ins and teach-ins, which center on the Department of Justice Report for the City of Cleveland.
Lunch will feature testimony from young activists on the ground in Ferguson, Mo., who were spurred into action by the fatal shooting of Michael Brown in August 2014. The second half of the conference will give attendees time to interact with representatives from local organizations, and learn about volunteer opportunities as part of the Community Action Fair. The conference closes with a spoken word performance, featuring young activist artists from the Greater Cleveland area.
Rhonda Y. Williams, founder and director of the Social Justice Institute, will facilitate the discussions throughout the event.
Register for Power Up! 2015 at case.edu/socialjustice/events/upcomingEvents.html.
For more information, contact the Social Justice Institute at 216.368.7568, or email socialjustice@case.edu.