Students and faculty in the Labor Studies Program at California State University, Dominguez Hills welcome labor and community organizations from across the greater Los Angeles area to celebrate the Seventh Annual Labor, Social and Environmental Justice Fair on Thursday, April 30, on campus.
From immigration reform to workers’ rights to economic and environmental conscience policies, people are uniting to create real social change, and the fair’s theme, “Uprising” aims to highlight these organizing drives of the Social Justice Movement.
Greg Akili from the Black Worker Center and Mark Lopez from East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice are this year’s keynote speakers.
“We’re proud to be sponsored by unions, individual donations, and students. We’re proud to have the participation of over 30 social justice organizations with useful resources and information. The organizations and speakers who come to the fair speak from their own experience of working for social change. Their stories inspire us to imagine a better world for the future as people face increasing poverty and environmental degradation,” said Vivian Price, Labor Studies Program coordinator and one of the advisers for the fair, which is organized by students.
The day-long fair is designed to connect students and members of the community with local unions and community organizations that are doing social justice work. It is open to the public, with free entry, free food (while supplies last).
Various social, labor and environmental justice organizations will have booths set up along the campus’ East Walkway. The walkway is also the location of live performances that will be spread throughout the day.
A series of workshops on conflict resolution through art and play, deferred action and Dream Act information; and activism through art will take place throughout the day on the second floor of the Student Union.
Also in Loker Student Union, from 5 to 8 p.m., the fair will screen “Heat Wave,” a film about the Watts Rebellion from the perspective of a black reporter.
The fair is sponsored by the United Food and Commercial Workers 324, California Faculty Association, the ILWU (International Longshore and Warehouse Union) Credit Union and Pensioners, Teamsters 986, California State Employee Association, and Associated Students, Inc. A full list of sponsors and attending labor and community organizations is online.
