October 21, 2024

Stanislaus State’s Social Justice in the Valley Conference will take place from Oct. 23-25, offering a three-day event filled with workshops, panel discussions and keynote presentations that focus on critical local and global social justice issues.  

This year’s theme highlights the intersections of climate change, migration, restorative justice and the role of education in fostering equity and inclusion. All events are free and open to the public.  

The full conference schedule and details on how to participate are available on the Social Justice in the Valley Conference website. 

“We need to understand why it is imperative to embrace these issues in a welcoming, productive way. We need to embrace the issues of racial injustice as well, and restorative justice is a powerful vehicle for taking on these challenges in fruitful ways.” 

- Jim Tuedio, Dean of the College of the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

The conference’s keynote speakers will explore pressing issues related to climate change, migration and justice. 

“Climate change is impacting every seasonal worker in the Central Valley who labors outside, whether as a migrant farmworker, construction worker, train painter or landscape gardener,” said Dean of the College of the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Jim Tuedio, who is spearheading the organization of the conference offerings. “We need to understand why it is imperative to embrace these issues in a welcoming, productive way. We need to embrace the issues of racial injustice as well, and restorative justice is a powerful vehicle for taking on these challenges in fruitful ways.” 

Keynote sessions, to be held at 6:30 p.m. in the Mainstage Theatre, will be live-streamed: 

  • Wednesday, Oct. 23: Sarah O’Quinn, senior government relations officer at the International Labour Organization (ILO), will address the impact of climate change on distressed migration. She will focus on how marginalized communities are disproportionately affected and how extending social protections can help them adapt to economic and environmental shocks.
    YouTube Channel Live Stream | Oct. 23

  • Thursday, Oct. 24: Teiahsha Bankhead, executive director of Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth, will discuss the Indigenous roots of restorative justice and how the practices can dismantle the school-to-prison pathway. Bankhead’s social welfare and racial justice background frames her dialogue on racial healing and community empowerment. 
    YouTube Channel Live Stream | Oct. 24

  • Friday, Oct. 25: Calvin Terrell, founder of the Social Centric Institute, will close the conference with an exploration of how communities can heal from historical trauma and build sustainable futures through equity and action. 
     YouTube Channel Live Stream| Oct. 25 

Stanislaus State faculty and students will also play a key role in shaping the conversations at the conference. Participants can attend various interactive sessions, including workshops on restorative justice and invention-based social action, along with art exhibits fostering reflection. 

  • Political Science faculty member Andrew Conteh will lead a session on Wednesday, Oct. 23, that explores how universities can advance the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by connecting classroom lessons to real-world outcomes.  

  • The Black Student Union panel will bring together student voices from across the Central Valley to discuss how Black student unions create supportive spaces for students while advocating for racial justice in educational settings. Stan State’s Black Student Success Coordinator, Myisha Butler-Ibawi, will lead a conversation on racial identity, student empowerment and the role of cultural organizations in higher education. 

  • Brenda Payne and Jennifer Meade will guide students through a creativity and invention workshop. The session will encourage participants to develop social justice action pitches and empower them to use creativity to address societal challenges.  

  • An art exhibit on display daily in the Mainstage Lobby will invite attendees to engage with social justice through visual media. Tabling and tours of the University’s sustainable garden tour will provide hands-on advocacy experiences. 

“The innovation and creativity workshops will offer insight into ways our students can learn to frame community action projects at the grassroots level of engagement,” Tuedio added. “All three evening keynote programs will provide important context and background to the development and implementation of these practices. Through the interplay of these topics, we can develop an empowering understanding of the interconnections between the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, restorative justice practices and healing practices to address historical traumas rooted in racial and class interactions, economic divisions and environmental disruptions.” 

Learn More About the Social Justice Conference