Amid multiple crises and in the aftermath of an election, this class is rooted in an in-depth and intimate investigation of what everyday practitioners of social justice from the past and present can teach us now about how to work towards a better and just future. The semester will consist of guest lectures, field trips, readings, group projects and more. We will focus on pivotal years in history such as 1491, 1969, and 2020, with an eye towards how people dealt with the loss of family and community, living through massive change, and what they did to survive. Additional focus will be on climate change, reproductive justice and topics coming from class discussion. At the end of the semester, students will work together to create a resource that shares key insights from over the course of class. Course materials will include a study of Ella Baker's Civil Rights work (including her impact on activism and linguistics); the art of R.I.S.E.: Radical Indigenous Survivance & Empowerment ; and the ongoing work of Long Covid activists (such as The People's CDC, JD Davis, and Pato Hebert)