Intersectional Organizing and Educational Justice Movements: Strategies for Cross-Movement Solidarities

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 32
  In Roundtable Session: Community Organizing for Educational Change

Abstract

This paper presents an exploratory study of the understandings and practice of intersectional organizing as a strategy for solidarity in educational justice movements. We draw from eight in-depth interviews with and three essays written by grassroots organizers working with parents, students and other members of low-income communities of color to address systemic racism in public education. We found that organizers face the challenge of forming solidarity across issues and movements because organizing tends to be siloed in single issue campaigns. We found promising practices where organizing around the lived experience of people at the intersections brought issues, communities and movements together. However, organizers identified other processes they believe critical to creating deep and sustained forms of solidarity as well.

Authors

• Mark R. Warren, University of Massachusetts - Boston

• Andrew King, University of Massachusetts - Boston

• Bianca Ortiz-Wythe, University of Massachusetts - Boston

• Patricio Belloy, University of Massachusetts - Boston

• Jose Calderon, Pitzer College