Every year, Illinois Wesleyan University holds a Teach-In on Martin Luther King Jr. Day to honor the civil rights leader.
This year IWU welcomes Charlene Carruthers, a young black activist to discuss her fight against oppression through the racial, feminist, and LGBTQ movements.
“When I think about gender justice, social justice, and just overall collective liberation, the things are inextricably tied,” the IWU alumna said. “If we're going to tell a story about what needs to be done, we need to tell as much of a complete story as possible.”
Telling incomplete stories will lead to incomplete solutions, Carruthers said.
“We all have to actually do self work on ourselves to interrogate and ask core questions,” she said.
Carruthers said individuals have to make a choice to engage in social justice work.
“It doesn’t happen overnight, and it's a lifelong journey,” she said. “And it continues even after we're no longer here.”
Wesleyan's Teach-In takes place Monday from 1 to 4 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
You can also listen to the full interview:
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