Read Festival Center Executive Director Jay Forth’s intro and invitation to this Spring’s Soteria classes:
“Our staff member, Dawn Longenecker, has been reading Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around, a collection of interviews and works by Barbara Smith. From the mid-1960s onward, Smith has been a tireless activist and writer. She’s noted for founding the Boston-based Combahee River Collective in 1974 (a lesbian black feminist group) and Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press (a publishing and activist organization). At our staff meeting, we discussed Smith’s words and we reflected on her unrelenting intersectional vision.
Barbara Smith sees that the antagonistic divisions of people along race, class, gender, and sexual orientation are a function of capitalism. Her intersectional vision resonates with our belief in the “interdependence of our oppressions and the interdependence of our liberation.” That’s why we strive to support diverse organizations and individuals working on different fronts. The community-based education we provide at Soteria Community School is one of the ways we provide support.
WE STRIVE TO SUPPORT DIVERSE ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS WORKING ON DIFFERENT FRONTS
Soteria offers a place to foster intersectional movements by sharpening analysis and connecting with people from disparate groups. This semester, we’re excited to offer a variety of conceptual and practical resources for those working toward liberation. The courses this spring are:
- Ideology in a Liberal & Capitalist World
- A Tale of Two Congregations: Public Witness in the Nation’s Capital
- Rethinking Poverty
- Replenishing Leadership for the Activist
We’re excited for you to join us for a time of critical reflection, dialogue, and self care this season. Registration for the spring semester is open now! If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us at info@festivalcenter.org. We hope to see you there!”
