Our Vision
Everyone is liberated because everyone is cared for. There are no physical, political, or financial barriers to pursuing your passion, caring for yourself and your community, and protecting the planet.
We feel safe.
We feel powerful.
We feel loved.
By listening to Black and Brown, resource-constrained, disabled, and queer young people, and all who are most proximate to injustice. They are best equipped to reimagine and share solutions.
Only 20% of political, educational, cultural, and business leaders in the US identify as people of color, and low income Black and Brown youth aren’t supported to change that. They are less likely to receive high quality civics education than more affluent peers.
We provide civic education with an equity and identity lens. Efforts to limit this work are widespread. (Since 2021, legislation has been proposed in 44 states that would limit teachers’ ability to discuss identity in the classroom.) Still, school leaders and teachers are eager to promote identity development for young people, and our programs help them to do that.
What is Vocal Justice doing about it?
We cultivate learning conditions for youth that strengthen their community, critical consciousness, and communication skills.
Our work positions youth to share stories that advance liberation — speaking at school board meetings about how to revamp education, leading rallies for climate justice, pushing for equitable hiring practices, and more.
What makes Vocal Justice unique?
We prioritize students who are not “high achieving” by traditional academic standards. Good leaders aren’t just “good” students.
We also encourage youth to communicate with integrity. Traditional communication programs implicitly suggest that the right way to speak is the “white way” — following the dominant culture when it comes to tone, vocabulary, and gestures. We promote authentic expression.
