learning and liberation across nyc

Image: A student in the Homeroom gallery at MoMA PS1, where our group met with curator-organizers who engage grassroots and community-based groups to activate exhibition space.

I created and taught a small intentional learning community with undergraduate students at NYU Gallatin School of Individualized Study. As a way to connect young people with grassroots political education spaces around the city, we met weekly on-campus and off-site to meet with community organizers, activists, and educators. Our visits included: The People’s Forum, MoMA PS1’s Homeroom gallery, Yu and Me Books, the World’s Borough Bookshop, El Puente, and Interference Archive.

This affinity group will explore how grassroots political education is taking shape across New York City. What spaces are currently active, who and what movements do they serve, and what are their visions and goals? Out of what struggle, need, or motivation were these spaces created, and what history of organizing and activism influence how they are structured? What are their approaches to teaching and learning with others to mobilize for social justice and liberation? What are some of the unexpected places where “everyday education” is happening? Outings and guest discussions may include local mutual aid collectives, worker-owned bookstores, community land trusts, youth organizing groups, and facilitators and organizers who teach and learn with people of all ages.