February 22, 2023: Power & Privilege Week

On the left, a hip-hop performer with microphone under pink and red lights; on the right, the silhouette of another performer under blue light.

Feature by the Power & Privilege Symposium Organizers:

Dearest co-conspirators,

We are writing to you in the midst of this year’s Power & Privilege Symposium. We made it! This series of events (keynote speaker Loretta J. Ross last night, guest artists Sounds of the People tonight, and a full roster of Whitman community-led sessions tomorrow) was brought to you by months of hard work by our student leadership team, and the support of campus and community collaborators. This is community work, and it is just beginning.

Our theme this year is “No More Allies,” because we hope to encourage people to act as co-conspirators or accomplices in social justice work. This means taking risks, acting collaboratively, and moving in solidarity. As much as accompliceship may feel like a bold step forward, it is rather a simple acknowledgement of a human truth—our existence, experience, and freedoms are all deeply enmeshed. As the poet Luis Valdez said, “You are my other me.” As the activist Lilla Watson said, “if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.” To be a co-conspirator is to embrace the beautiful collectivity of our experience, and to move together towards liberation.

We encourage you to joyously engage in this year’s symposium. For those of you who attended Loretta J. Ross’ keynote speech, we hope you keep her same energy of critical care. For those of you who come to the SOTP show tonight, dance together! Move in collective effervescence! And for those of you who come to sessions on Thursday, engage with your whole hearts, and allow our session leaders to move you into new places, new ideas and new relationships with one another.

We can’t wait to see you all at the Power & Privilege Symposium this evening and tomorrow. We can’t do it without you—together we make this possible.