Critical Awareness - Critical Activation

A ground-breaking program for those hoping to be informed and committed allies with local BIPOC communities
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Critical Awareness is a ground-breaking program aiming to activate and educate white participants. Co-created with local BIPOC educators, we’ll hear directly about the historic and contemporary challenges facing local Black, Latinx, and Kumeyaay communities.

This is also a rare opportunity to respond to racism since BIPOC-led nonprofits and community leaders will inform and invite participants to join them in solidarity in a variety of ways throughout the course and beyond.

While it’s up to white people to get up to speed on the triumphs and challenges of BIPOC communities, many have over-burdened (likely unintentionally) BIPOC people in their learning process, expecting BIPOC neighbors, colleagues, or friends to fill in the gaps for them. This program is something of the opposite.

We’ve identified seasoned BIPOC educators who have the time and expertise to walk students towards a deeper understanding of Others. Plus, we don’t expect our teachers to work and answer questions for free or at a heavily reduced rate.

Critical Awareness and Activation

Our Objective

1

Critical Awareness

For participants to more deeply understand the historical and contemporary examples of imperialism, colonialism, and systemic racism in the San Diego – Tijuana – Kumeyaay borderland.

2

Informed Acts of Solidarity

To activate participants by highlighting activism opportunities throughout the course and in a designated workshop.

3

Local BIPOC Communities gain allies

To benefit BIPOC communities by (1) creating informed and prepared allies that are funneled directly to local, BIPOC-led nonprofits and initiatives and (2) paying BIPOC educators fairly.

Duration and Cost

Five 2 hour sessions, tailorable to your organization’s schedule
$80 per person – all fees used to compensate our instructors

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The instructors and program creators

Setche Kwamu-Nana

Setche is a certified Inclusion, Diversity and Equity (IDE) trainer, with experience moving organizations and groups from using the right words to choosing to do the right actions in solidarity. She was the Sr. Diversity and Inclusion leader for Intuit Inc at local campuses and has also worked with the National Conflict Resolution Center and the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Deirdre Encarnacion

Deirdre holds degrees in Anthropology and Biology from SDSU and recently earned her Certificate of Specialization in Kumeyaay Studies from Kumeyaay Community College. For over ten years, she has been educating others about indigenous cultures at a variety of schools and cultural events.

Brandon Fitzgerald

Brandon has been creating, teaching, or funding educational programs since 2012, putting his BA in Sociology from SDSU and his MSc in International Relations from University College London to good work — from small nonprofits to household names like Tesla Motors. His recent dissertation was on local resistance to “Trump’s wall” and the US-MX border system.

Note: Salaam is presently identifying Kumeyaay and additional Latinx educators and activists to add to the program.