Practical Activism Conference

Beginning in 2003, Practical Activism is a day-long conference featuring speakers, performances, interactive workshops, and a variety of hands-on creative activities and opportunities on a wide range of social justice issues. The conference serves to provide information, tools, and opportunities to generate local and global change. Practical Activism is coordinated, planned, and implemented by a group of passionate students from College Nine and John R. Lewis College.

The previous Practical Activism Conferences have been highly successful venues for education, activism, and networking. Several keynote speakers have been featured including Angela Davis, Zahra Billoo, the Molotov Mouths, Daniel “Nane” Alejandrez, Boots Riley, Bettina Aptheker, Aaronette White, Darrick Smith, and Eden Silva Jequinto.

Through the 20+ years of Practical Activism, over 150 workshops have been implemented, covering such diverse topics as art and activism, the criminal justice system, global gender issues, voting injustices, diversity in education, immigration, military, UC involvement with nuclear bombs, UC tuition hikes, sexual assault, homelessness, and student movements. Additionally, Practical Activism serves as a venue for local art displays and tabling by campus and community organizations. Evaluations of the conference are consistently extremely positive. This conference also offers an excellent leadership opportunity for student planners who work together for over six months to develop and plan all components of the project. Planners are able to improve communication, teamwork, leadership, organizational, research, and follow-up skills. This conference is an important component of increasing student, faculty, and community interaction. Practical Activism aims to provide resources for students, faculty, and community members to become more active with social justice issues in Santa Cruz and beyond. 

We imagine this conference as a community committed not only to Practical Activism but also to our UCSC Principles of Community. We expect those who participate to treat one another with respect, kindness, and consideration. Harassment, bigotry, and disrespect will not be tolerated, nor will any threatening speech or content. While virtual spaces can bring us together in incredible ways, they can also create distance and the illusion of non-accountability. We therefore ask that, as you participate in this conference, you keep in mind our ethical responsibilities to one another as partners in dialogue and conversation. Anyone found to violate these expectations during the conference will not be permitted to continue as a participant and may face further consequences from UCSC.

Unfortunately, real-world vulnerabilities produced by structural racism, misogyny, and other forms of oppression can be present anywhere. Thank you for your commitment to fighting those forms of oppression wherever you find them. Thank you for participating in our Practical Activism conference and keeping our UCSC Principles of Community always in mind. And thank you for your solidarity and your patience as we work to make this conference the best that it can be.

Sincerely,

The PAC Planners, College Nine, & John R. Lewis College