Teacher of Transformation
Chandra Alexandria Williams
Do not confuse destroying what you don't want with creating what you do want. -Krishnamurti
period
social justice
These are Chandra Williams' most requested lecture series. Complex topics are made plain. These talks explore radical means of creating social justice by making common knowledge the inner workings of systemic structures of inequality. Furthermore this series explores how we can employ our innate power as human beings to create new structures and bypass the need to destroy anything.
Simple and direct talks with references help participants prepare for informed conversation and action in todays world of constant commentary and information (and mis-information) overload.
Rap and Social Justice
It is imperative that we acknowledge the exploitation of popular rap as a means of "manufacturing consent" for the over-population of private prisons with black men. Without the perpetuation of negative images of black manhood, not only would fewer black boys be ushered into glorified criminal lifestyles, furthermore the population at large would be outraged by the disproportionate imprisonment of black males. For instance, imagine if 80% of prison population was elder white women, or middle-aged asian men - because their images are not manipulated in the same fashion, the common person would be able to recognize the injustice of such a state of affairs. The perpetuation of negative images of black manhood dates back to Birth of a Nation, minstrelsy and early slavery caricatures of Sambo, Mammy, etc. Most importantly this lecture identifies the uniquely powerful positioning of rappers to halt the exploitation of Black images and create new, healthy and whole cultural identity for Black Youth!
Bureaucracy, Economy and U.S. Government: The Illusion of Power Over and the Reality of Power through.
Do not be misled by the "big" words in this title, we make it all plain! This crash course on the structures of American institutions recalls what we (may have) learned in a high school civics class - but with a healthy dose of current real-life, practical, contextual examples of how these subject areas play out in contemporary issues of social justice. This talk provides simple, direct and easily verifiable explanations and historic information which could be found in the average school textbook. Schooling, capitalism, electoral politics, the electoral college and the judicial system are some of the structures delineated in this talk. We look at how they are inter-related and where equity falls short in the very structure of said institutions. We get clear on how we as citizens and employees participate in these structures and often contribute to harmful consequences we never intended. Most importantly we recognize our power as participants to change the nature of these institutions from within.
Black Lives Matter
Explores the development and deconstruction of unwarranted violence and police brutality. This heartfelt and action-oriented conversation takes an honest and difficult look at the historic, psychological and sociological foundations of police brutality and racially motivated murder in the cases of George Floyd, Michael Brown, Ahmaud Arbery, Brionna Thomas, Trayvon Martin, Jordan Davis, Philando Castille, LaTasha Harlan, Amadou Diallo and more. We look at systematic and cultural ways in which this heart-breaking violence is perpetuated and excused. Then we dig deep into moving beyond punishing these crimes into methods of healing the problematic mindsets that bely these atrocities. We explore the unnatural commonness of violence against Black people at the hands of any one of any color. This lecture integrates concepts from the Freedom of the Mind series and engages the dire need to evolve beyond the conditioning of the mind and create reality free of prejudice.
The Power of Art
Of all of the social justice lectures offered by Williams, this is the most widely received and repeatedly requested! Although it touches on all of the topics included in the social justice series, it centers on outlining historic, contemporary, psychological and sociological explanations of the the role of arts in creating massive social change - both negative and positive. By providing historic and contemporary examples of how arts are used to create public opinion - from propaganda to public relations and popular culture - this lecture illuminates the power of arts to shape thought and opinions in society ultimately informing collective action thus creating reality. Most importantly it empowers communities to employ these dynamics for their own greatest good: to create self-directed healing and cultural change!
Racism as an Economic Tool
This lecture returns audiences to the basic understanding of the development of racism towards African Americans as a function of the economic tool of slavery. It provides a simple, direct and impactful explanation of our economic structure and the role of cheap and free labor in the process of creating profit in commerce. From chattel slavery to private prisons and the 13th Amendment which connects the two, we reveal how and why racism has persisted so long in America and explore alternatives to the exploitation of African Americans, or any group of people as a source of cheap labor.
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