A beautiful reflection and recap of this past weekend's incredible #LJ4All symposium from our Coalition Programs and Outreach Manager
This past Friday and Saturday, the Oakland Literacy Coalition held its 4th annual Literacy & Justice for All Symposium. This was my second year serving as the project manager for the symposium, and I’m proud to share that it was our biggest one yet! We gathered over 600 educators for two days of learning, and wow—I am still rejoicing in that feeling. This was also the first symposium I emceed and the largest crowd I’ve ever spoken in front of. As I prepared to go on stage, I was reminded of my time in the classroom as a writing instructor—encouraging my students to be radically vulnerable and brave because their voices and stories mattered. Little did I realize, I also needed that pep talk. I had the honor of kicking off both Friday and Saturday and the true privilege of introducing one of my personal heroes, Bettina Love. I was humbled by the applause and by the people who came up to me afterward, sharing their journeys of being first-generation, their immigration stories, and how they connected with my story. It was the affirmation I needed—a reminder that I have a clear purpose in this work. I am still so juiced, so hyped, by the turnout and the incredible learning that took place on Saturday. I am still thinking about our brilliant keynote speaker, Sonja Cherry-Paul, EdD—her beautiful voice and powerful message. Now more than ever, we need to reflect on our past to work toward justice in our present. As she says in her newest book, Anti-Racist Reading Revolution: “Solidarity means we confront, challenge, and change ourselves, even and especially when the work is hard, fully understanding that the journey to justice is not simple or linear.” The work is not easy, but it must be done. Thank you, Dr. Love, for also calling us in, calling it out, and naming the ways we can explicitly show up for Black and Brown students and communities—to put our privilege on the line for justice and for love. A big thank you also to Melissa & Lori Love Literacy for trusting us to host their very first live podcast and our Oakland stars Leroy and Tala! To all of our speakers who led incredible sessions, facilitated our lunch table talks, and created space for educators to learn and champion literacy. To my OLC team, interns, and volunteers—thank you. Our students deserve rigor, but they also deserve joy. We know we’re in a literacy crisis, and we all play a crucial role in this ecosystem—ensuring that all students have access to high-quality reading instruction that also allows them to celebrate their brilliance and identities. I know this is long—I’m a writer! If you made it this far thank you. Please continue sharing pictures, messages, and reflections. I hope to see you at our next one! May we continue to be truth-tellers, advocates, and comrades in this fight.