Hi Ya’ll! I was blown away by your support to help me pay my deposit for Morehouse College, and I am back hoping to raise $450 for a round trip flight to California by June 15th to take part in Encampment, and practice living in a participatory democracy with young folks from all over this country.

What is Encampment?

Encampment is a 3 week summer social justice intensive in California! The summer program is the heart of the Encampment. It is a true experience in democracy where young people (ages 15-18) who would otherwise never meet:

They come from cities and suburbs; from rural reservations, small towns, big towns; north, south, east, and west. They are diverse in ethnic and cultural identification, gender, and social and economic backgrounds. They come together to create a living example of participatory democracy. They leave with lifelong friends and a commitment to social justice activism in its myriad forms.

This year’s theme is Justice Knows No Borders!

Why Encampment?

It’s dope! Beyond just a trip to Cali, it’s an opportunity for people from all over the country to come together and try to figure this thing out we call justice and democracy. This opportunity reminds me of the fight for Black Studies and Ethnic Studies in the 1960s, and the important moves young people made there that rippled across time and space so that I could take Ethnic Studies in Holyoke in 2021! Even though I’m graduating from high school (6.5.25), I am on a journey of lifelong learning about racial justice.