Corewell Health’s Post

🌟 Back in May, S from our Youth Steering Group took part in an amazing opportunity with Speakers Trust to deliver a Maiden Speech at the House of Lords. S shared their story of being neurodivergent in school and how schools can better support students with different needs. See their amazing speech below - we could not be more proud 😊 In the spirit of empowering young people to make their voices heard, last week's bulletin, written by our Youth Steering Group, focused on the importance of young people registering to vote during this election period. (https://lnkd.in/gwaD7qvQ]) This election is a key opportunity for those in power to hear the voice of young people. The following resources have been designed to help schools and youth organisations talk about the election and help young people register to vote: 📍 Register to vote by tomorrow (https://lnkd.in/dBR7ZwQ) 📍 Democracy Classroom: Supporting young people to engage in elections (https://lnkd.in/eEg3MRWp) 📍 Association for Citizenship Teaching: Equip Your Students for General Election (https://lnkd.in/g4zPx-G6) The deadline to register to vote is tomorrow 🚨 #RegistertoVote

Whenever I see headlines like the one pictured below, especially when they get shared around by politicians, I must remind everyone: human rights are not a popularity contest. Never have human rights ever been a question of “social consensus” or the majority’s approval. We can look back at history for numerous examples thereof. Desegregation of schools faced massive backlash after Brown v. Board of Education. Anti-abortion extremism has led to many attempted murders. The same goes for anti-trans rhetoric. At so many points in history, human rights have been controversial, or even completely shunned upon by the general populace. However, does that means that we should restrict human rights to appease them? The answer is simple: no. “[R]ecognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.” So to everyone who believes they have a say in the “trans debate”: trans people are human beings, trans youth are human beings, and denying them healthcare, against accepted scientific evidence, can, and in many cases will, deny them the ability to live freely and thrive later down their life.

2023 theme highlights the enduring impact of slavery and the role of education in dismantling racial injustices. Transformative education, promoting understanding and critical thinking, is emphasized as a powerful tool against prejudices. The message calls for renewed commitment to eradicating the remnants of slavery, aiming for a future marked by dignity, equality, and solidarity in the pursuit of justice.

Today is the World Day of Social Justice, which increases awareness about social inequality and educates people about the importance of removing barriers in society. With a mission of educating to advance racial equity, social justice, and human rights for all, the Korematsu Institute will continue to speak up for all communities. We believe words matter, we believe history matters, and we believe in the power of education to bring about substantive change. We believe now is the time to take decisive action towards a more positive future in our speech, in our actions, and at the ballot box.

It feels hypocritical for me to work for a company so closely partnered with the U.S. federal government when I often voice support for marginalized communities. Witnessing the next generation of the workforce take action aligned with their values is making me question my own. With that, I will be (slowly) looking into different opportunities and welcome DMs that are made in good faith. Perhaps I'll be funemployed. Bahala na! Admittedly, the guilt and shame has been eating at me for well over a year. It's been an excruciating daily internal battle to show up and continue business as usual with a government that repeatedly fails to equitably support BIPOC and trans rights. It's excruciating to watch my friends battle with healthcare and go as far as scheduling laparoscopic bilateral salpingectomy procedures as a defense against the possibility government strips away more body autonomy. And it's been excruciating to watch students' concerns be dismissed and instead be met with militant violence. It's excruciating to see violent policing be normalized.   All of the issues above are connected in some way. So, I feel a responsibility to be explicit about my solidarity with the students protesting for a liberated #Palestine 🍉 I agree with their demands that span beyond a ceasefire. I believe it's important to recognize the rights we have today were often won through disruptive means. I also believe higher education is meant to empower students to think critically and challenge unjust authority. We would not progress otherwise. Liberation demands the courage to sacrifice, most crucially from privileged people like me. And I am willing to sacrifice salary, at the very least, to use my talent and energy on something else and to dream of other possibilities.

"What we desire, or what we claim to desire, may be in complete opposition to what we do. We say we want equality of opportunity. We say (or pretend) to want a meritocracy. We make political statements like, “No Child Left Behind.” Yet our schools tend to retain a tight grip on those Barnard/Cubberley structures of limitations, inequality of opportunity, and shutting out those who do not seem to be “like us.”' #education #educationalleadership #school #schoolleadership #americanhistory #socialresponsibility https://lnkd.in/et77ZtaJ

It is baffling that some folks seem to have such high in-group bias within social advocacy circles to the degree that they create these exclusive "social justice" cliques, which later form into veritable advocacy organizations. These cliques, who often are able to secure large amounts of funding and propagandize themselves as working for the common good, tend to exhibit some of the worst workplace behaviors you can experience. In these spaces, devotion to a particular set of beliefs and methods becomes currency, leaving very little room for nuanced discussion and compassion for multiple truths. They devolve into adopting the same type of power politics that are rife within the capitalist world, except instead of material wealth, people attempt to flex knowledge and their ability to debate. The quest for justice is universal, not dependent on level of education or what kind of leftist circles you're given access to. Justice is for all who seek it, not afforded by invitation. The fact that walls are put up in the first place is antithetical to the pursuit of justice.

Today we celebrate #Juneteenth. #Juneteenth represents the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Today is a federal holiday that many companies still do not recognize, so unfortunately we have some work to do. At Add Education, we understand its historical significance as a pivotal moment in American history. Today we celebrate freedom, resilience, and the ongoing journey towards equality and justice. #AddEducation #ChangingLivesOneKidAtaTime

One comment under this post on IG is what are they so afraid of? The radicalized right comes across as strong but this is fear and it is seeping into mainstream consciousness. They do not want an educated population and they are doing that by systematically trying to unravel everything that came out of the Civil Rights Movement and Human Rights movements. Diversity Equity and Inclusion is human rights not corporate programming. Equity Deserving means just that. Deserving of Equity. Equity Denied means just that. Denied Equity. We didn’t stand for it then and we shouldn’t stand for it now. What did women fight for? What did Black peoples fight for? What did 2SLGBTQIA+ people fight for? What did disabled people fight for? What did Indigenous peoples fight for? What did immigrants fight for? What were they unalived for? Why did they put themselves in harms way to be hosed down, tear gassed, trafficked, beaten, indentured, enslaved, assaulted, maimed, spat on, called names, signs saying where they could and could not go? They could not read, they could not get an education? What was it all for? What “progress” have we made? Where are all the allies? The question is not what are they afraid of. That’s obvious. The question is what are we afraid of?

🌟 Learn more about the benefits of HSIs! Did you know there are 10 TIMES as many Latinx high school graduates not attending college compared to all other racially minoritized groups in California? In their latest article, Dr. Gina Ann Garcia and Dr. Nicholas Vargas explore how Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) can play a crucial role in closing these racial gaps. Discover policy recommendations, effective outreach strategies, and the importance of community engagement to ensure Latino students thrive in higher education. 🔗 Read the full report: https://bit.ly/3KuDhsN #HigherEd #LatinxStudents #EquityInEducation