U.S. Social Forum May Monday Series: "The Students Speak!"

Join Austin organizers and activists for the first event in a series looking at Austin's social movements in preparation for the U.S. Social Forum. Student and community organizers will lead a discussion of successes and challenges around mobilizing students in the fight for social justice on and off campus. Those that will be represented include student groups that are seeking to build sustainable social movements linking the campus to the community. The Social Justice Action Coalition is based out of the school of social work and organizes to promote social justice work in and out of the school. Fair Food Austin, who recently won an on-campus campaign against the food service provider Aramark, has worked for years in solidarity with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. ¡ella pelea! is a group that forefronts the demands of women, queer folks and people of color around the budget cuts at UT. MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán) is a Xicana/o student collective that promotes culture, history, and resistance to oppression and is currently leading campaigns against the Texas State Board of Education textbook reforms called "Save Our History" and promoting Immigrant Rights at UT in solidarity with the Austin Immigrants Rights Coalition. A discussion of the new student movement will proceed a dialogue of how to best utilize the U.S. Social Forum in Detroit next month to further the fight for a social justice on and off campus.

The U.S. Social Forum Series will feature various community groups every Monday in May.