Summer 2021 Cohort

About the Program

The 'Staff as Students of Social Justice' (SSSJ) Program  is an important expression of the campus’s commitment to staff’s intellectual and professional development, especially around issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and justice. This program is a keystone effort of the university’s work towards Becoming an Anti-Racist Campus. Piloted in Fall 2020, the SSSJ Program is a unique opportunity to learn first-hand from leading scholars and American Cultures instructors about the intersections of race, ethnicity, and gender; dig into subjects of personal interests; and build connections with faculty, students, and campus colleagues. Previously, SSSJ allowed an opportunity for cohorts of up to 25 campus staff per semester (from the Division of Undergraduate Education and beyond) to audit an American Cultures course and participate in discussions about timely and important topics. Now continuing its fifth year, this program offers a weekly seminar over Zoom, titled “Material Anti-Racisms,” led by the SSSJ Program Director of Pedagogy, David Maldonado. This seminar provides a deep study of abolitionism and higher education, incorporating content from the previous SSSJ lecture series “Aspirations of Material Anti-Racism: What’s Next.” Please take a moment to learn more about the previous summer 2021 online course offerings, and view the final group projects and presentation below. Please email americancultures@berkeley.edu if you have any questions.

Final Projects

Participants participated in a final group project and presentation at the conclusion of the semester. Below are the final projects for the Summer 2021 Cohort.

Summer 2021 Final Presentations

Summer 2021 Cohort Final Presentations: Staff as Students of Social Justice Program

Summer 2021 Presentation / Presenter Time 
Group #1: "Carceral Capitalism," with Aly Jarocki, Gillian Edgelow, Krystle Simon, Mariana Matthews, and Robert Hold 00:00
Group #2: Abolition Geography with Jasmine Valenzuela, Nancy Donovan, Tabea Mastel, and Vanessa Lujan 15:21
Group #3: Counterinsurgency and The Panthers with Carina Galicia, Dylan Howser, Erin Blanton, Les Gorske, Sandy Richmond, Dylan Howser, and Mark Shaw 26:54
Group #4: Mutual Aid and Survival Pending Revolution with Barbara Montano, Helena Weiss-Duman, Jenny Jones, Stacey Frederick, and Tanisha Muquit 45:43

Summer 2021 Final Projects

Zoom
Project Title: "Carceral Capitalism," by Aly Jarocki, Gillian Edgelow, Krystle Simon, Mariana Matthews, and Robert Hold
Zoom
Project Title: "Abolition Geography" by Jasmine Valenzuela, Nancy Donovan, Tabea Mastel, and Vanessa Lujan
Play video
Project Title: "Material Antiracism and Carcerality - And the Youth Said, All Power to the People" by Carina Galicia, Dylan Howser, Erin Blanton, Les Gorske, Sandy Richmond, Dylan Howser, and Mark Shaw
Zoom
Project Title: "Mutual Aid and Survival Pending Revolution" by Barbara Montano, Helena Weiss-Duman, Jenny Jones, Stacey Frederick, and Tanisha Muquit

Other SSSJ Links