SOCIAL JUSTICE MOVEMENT IN OUR UNIVERSITIES

 

 

Here is an example of what is happening in colleges and universities.

“DREAMers: How a Youth Movement Challenged Immigrant Rights Orthodoxy” by Prof. Enid Trucios-Haynes, UofL’s Brandeis School of Law

This presentation will discuss the rise of an immigrant rights movement led by undocumented youth over the past decade. In the mid-2000s, undocumented young people came out of the shadows and declared themselves to be undocumented and unafraid. They sought legislation, the DREAM Act, to provide legal status for those who came to the U.S. as children and had become undocumented when they turned eighteen. They challenged the negative dehumanizing terminology of “illegal aliens” by identifying DREAMers as exceptional students, and later by uniting through the creation of national coalitional organizations. After marching in Washington D.C. in 2010, these youth activists used civil disobedience tactics to petition Congress directly for the DREAM Act. Youth activists became empowered to speak for themselves, their undocumented parents, and the entire undocumented community in the U.S. Their progressive agenda, seeking dignity, respect, and recognition, led President Obama to create the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program after Congress refused to act. Although this program does not provide legal status, and is currently in limbo due to litigation, undocumented young people — now out of the shadows — continue to build the movement and coalitions to challenge the restrictionist immigration policies of the Trump Administration.

This is part of a 6-week short course that offers historical and contemporary perspectives on a variety of social justice movements. Six scholars from the University of Louisville’s Anne Braden Institute for Social Justice Research and Muhammad Ali Institute for Peace and Justice will explore aspects of social movement-building on topics such as racial justice, youth-led immigrant justice, LGBTQ rights, and solidarity, among others. 

This class is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Call 502-574-1623 to reserve your spot.

Location: Louisville Free Public Library

Main Library
301 York St.
Louisville, KY 40203

Date & Location

Date: 1/24/2019
Time: 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
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