In early 2018, a group of social work students came together to create an alternative event when a white supremacy extremist was expected on campus -- the result was Building Power!

 

Building Power is a Black-led conference based around countering white supremacy through community organizing, direct action, and in everyday life. The event brings together members of the University of Michigan and broader Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti communities. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn from action-driven leaders in social justice, participate in small and large group discussions, and develop action plans for adopting social justice lifestyles.

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Topics may include direct action strategies in community organizing, bystander intervention, nonviolence, ethical practices, combating gentrification, coalition building, and the Black action movement.