Jess Hobbs Pifer, Community Organizer, gave a workshop to Friends Seminary students on Quakers, activism, and how to organize for social change.
NYC Quakers’ Community Organizer, Jess Hobbs Pifer, ran a workshop at Friends Seminary’s recent Day of Concern. Jess is one of the organizers of last year’s Quaker Walk to Washington, a march from Flushing to DC to bring the message that human rights are God-given and beyond the concern of US citizenship. She spoke to two groups of high school students about Quakerism and activism and how to bring about social change. I'm grateful to have heard a practice version of Jess’ workshop and learned a lot about organizing, social movements, and power mapping. Jess' report is below, followed by some of her slides from the workshop. — Sarah Way
On Wednesday, March 4 I had the opportunity to run a workshop with upper school students from Friends Seminary during their annual Day of Concern. This year, the students decided to focus on immigration. The day started with a celebratory salsa performance in the 15th Street Meetinghouse by the band Conjunto Los Chachos, followed by community agreements set by a group of students.
In my workshop, I spoke with the students about the Quaker Walk to Washington, Quakerism and activism, and how to organize for social change. We discussed the types of power Friends Seminary students hold, such as the power to tell their own stories through social media platforms, and the power to organize a protest with other students. We also talked about the spectrum of power, how to identify our allies, and who might be in our coalition when organizing for change.
The students were thoughtful and engaged. We spoke about Quaker testimonies and what it means to each of us to “let our lives speak.” They asked about what was most challenging and most rewarding about the walk to Washington. Some students wanted to know how to engage with people who hold very different beliefs and values. I explained how my conviction in the Quaker testimony of equality, and recognition of the Light in all of us, helps guide me in these types of conversations.
Overall, it was an enriching day and a great opportunity to connect with students.
– Jess Hobbs Pifer
