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There’s a quote I first heard in grad school that says: “Because oppression is seen as systemic, we tend to absolve ourselves of blame, but unless someone chooses to identify themselves with institutions and systems, the act of honest confession will never take place.”

In this clip, I talk with my good friend and fellow Macro Social Worker and Equity Advocate Surabhi Pandit about how our activism organizing dialogues on race and equity as graduate students at The University of Michigan School of Social Work contributed to her Social Justice Origin Story.

It all started with an incident where a class discussion exposed unexamined underlying racial biases and prompted a group of Black students to initiate broader, organized dialogues to address the issues.

I tell the story of what happened, and Surabhi tells the story of how these efforts eventually grew into monthly events involving various departments across the campus and garnering significant support. The narrative underscores the challenges faced in addressing racial harm within educational settings and the importance of continuous personal and collective work toward equity and social justice.

Her full episode: “Making Race Heard” is available on YouTubeApple PodcastsSpotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

 Subscribe to the Social Justice Origin Stories project website here

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