“Justice is something that I think is hard to define. I think people have different understandings of justice, but being at a conference like this and seeing how everyone is so intentional about coming together to serve the greater good of everybody, that's what justice is about to me,” said Lauren Fitch, a master’s student in Marquette University’s Public Service program.
Fitch shared what drew her to the school’s annual “Justice in Action” conference.
“I know sometimes it can be subjective, but for me it's about people having the ability to live a full life and right, right now, when there is so much injustice happening in our community, that's not where we're at. So we have to pursue a world where there's equity and there's also a celebration of what makes all of us good,” she added.
The student-led conference invites both students and community members to learn more about social justice and civic engagement in the city. Last month, the conference marked its 10th anniversary by asking: ‘What is justice without democracy?’
Angie Sandoval is the programming committee staff co-chair. She also serves as the Assistant Director of Research and Internships at the Center for Urban Research, Teaching, and Outreach (CURTO) at Marquette.
“Knowing that this is the 250th anniversary of us signing the Declaration of Independence, we just thought it was important for us to talk about democracy and justice because they go together so well,” Sandoval said.
Various mission-driven organizations, such as Voces de la Frontera, the League of Women Voters, and America’s Black Holocaust Museum, hosted breakout sessions throughout the day. In these sessions, students engaged in conversations about justice and democracy, and some even incorporated a creative element, such as making zines.
After attending a session focused on the April 7 Spring Election, Fitch felt equipped to continue seeking more ways to get involved in local politics in Wisconsin and her home state of Michigan.
“Understanding local government has always been something that's been kind of a gray area for me. So what I learned in our workshop today… It makes me more curious to learn more,” she said.
Marquette nursing student and junior Victoria Okoro was also drawn to the conference’s focus on social impact. Her goal is to use nursing to address healthcare disparities in marginalized communities.
“I'm really passionate about social justice and just being in spaces where I can hear other stories and just like learn about others' experiences and how I can make an impact like in my future,” Okoro shared.
She was also impressed by the keynote speaker, and Wisconsin Poet Laureate, Dasha Kelly’s message addressing the dynamics of race, class, equity, and power.
“I think a lot about class and how that affects our power. And then also like how race ties into that,” Okoro said.
As a poet, Kelly enacts change through justice work and creativity, providing another avenue to civic engagement beyond traditional methods such as voting or writing to officials. She spoke more about what it means to be a creative change agent.
“There's been this template, cookie-cutter idea of what it means to have an impact on a fill-in-the-blank: an issue, an opportunity, a space, a school, a family,” Kelly said. “And it's just you being that one drop of yourself. A one drop of intention. One milliliter of that bleach, of that change agent, that can make a difference.”
Kelly answers the question of ‘what is justice without democracy?’ with a call for all changemakers to add their voice to the conversation, on a small or large scale.
“That conversation, that justice fight needs you and your drop of you. It'll be forever changed because you added yourself there,” she continued.
Similarly, Sandoval hopes the conference will inspire students to continue to speak up.
“I think that it's important to think about the democracy that we want to see, the city that we want to see so they can know how they can be changemakers, how they can make a difference, but also like bring hope in this moment,” she said.
