'Social justice rapper' to give performance at UW-La Crosse

The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse is slated to host a “Social Justice Week” next month with a focus on “Building Revolutionary Communities.”

According to the university’s website, the lineup will feature “a week of presentations—with afternoon and evening sessions led by experts from across the country” that will “raise awareness of different kinds of social justice issues.”

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The event will be the third annual Social Justice Week hosted by UW-La Crosse, and is scheduled to take place April 2-6. According to the event program, the lectures and workshops are sponsored by the UW-La Crosse Institute for Social Justice and will cover topics ranging from racism to political activism.

“‘Revolutionary communities’ are built the same way as all communities—through interactions over time,” one event description reads. “The constitution of a community is found in the nature of these interactions. Therefore, to build revolutionary communities, our interactions themselves have to embody ‘revolutionary’ principles as much as possible.”

Another “roundtable” discussion seeks to address “fraternity and sorority life” and explore methods by which it can become a “tool for social change.”

“What if fraternities and sororities could be a tool for social change and not an obstacle?” the description of the lecture states. “Fraternity & Sorority Life is rooted in elite membership and a loyal commitment to a set of values and standards. Shifting culture is no easy task.”

Other notable events and lectures include a discussion on “issues related to cisgender men and masculinity in traditional student organizations,” “white perceptions of black social movements,” “diversity and inclusion initiatives in higher education” and more.

Another workshop listed in the program will discuss “two connected truths,” including how “White students, staff, faculty, and their institutions maintain White supremacy,” and how  “effectively reaching and challenging White students, faculty, and staff influences how we begin to dismantle systems of oppression.”

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In addition to the lectures, research sessions, panel discussions and roundtables, the Social Justice Week is also slated to feature G. Yamazawa, a “social justice rapper, poet, and comedian,” on the last day of the event series. It was not immediately clear how much the university spent on the organizing and hosting the program. 

UW-La Crosse did not respond to Campus Reform’s request for comment in time for the publication.

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