Storytelling and Solidarity: Bridging the Gaps Between Our Communities and Movements
Join I Stand With Immigrants Initiative and The Word | A Storytelling Sanctuary for a 45-minute panel discussion on the power of storytelling, what solidarity means, and how to build it between communities.
Because so much of our work happens under structures that are capitalistic, oppressive, and oftentimes inaccessible by design, this session will serve as a teach-in for bookstores – places with the capacity to be community centers, safe third spaces, and places to meet accessibility needs such as literacy and language barriers – on how they can most effectively be in community with marginalized people. Our session will accomplish this by uplifting the experiences of two Black women and immigrants who use their voices and share their personal stories as a means of advocacy. We hope to provide them a platform to talk about their work and what true solidarity means to them and the communities of which they are members.
About the panelists:
Ama Akoto (she/her) is a writer and storyteller from Washington, D.C. with strong roots in the American South. Professionally, she works with the I Stand With Immigrants Initiative to amplify immigrant voices and experiences in hopes of shifting the narrative around immigration in the U.S., as well as expanding and pushing our collective movement for justice forward.
Ama’s background in community advocacy and Black feminist theory has led her to center her personal writing on essays, romance fiction, and poetry about Black femmes and queer folks. She has been featured in indie publications such as The South, Black Woman’s Latitude, and Girls Write Shit. Ama holds a Bachelor of Arts in English, Creative Writing & Women’s and Gender Studies from North Carolina Central University.
Dr. Felecia Russell is the Director of the Higher Ed Immigration Portal at the Presidents’ Alliance for Higher Education and Immigration. She identifies as a Black DACA recipient, scholar, and practitioner. Her research agenda explores the experiences of non-Latinx undocumented students, more specifically Black undocumented students, and the intersections of race and immigration status. Her recent book, Amplifying Black Undocumented Student Voices in Higher Education which centers her own educational journey and a qualitative study exploring the experiences of 15 Black undocumented students was released by Routledge on April 15, 2024. Most recently, she published two groundbreaking articles, “What Does it Mean to be UndocuBlack? Exploring the Double Invisibility of Black Undocumented Immigrant Students in U.S. Colleges and Universities” and “The (Un) Embraced: The Experiences of Black Undocumented Students on College Campuses.” Felecia earned her undergraduate degree from Cal Lutheran, her master’s in Public Policy from Pepperdine University, and her doctorate from Temple University.
Astou Thiane was born in Dakar, Senegal, immigrated to the United States at the age of seven and was raised in Harlem, New York City. She learned about her immigration status as a high school student and struggled to access higher education due to limitations based on this status. In 2013, she received DACA status, which granted her the ability to work, allowing her to finance her education without any state, federal, or private aid. Because of her passion for empowerment through education, Astou became a literacy teacher in 2015 and worked for the next five years delivering high-quality instruction and advancing equity for immigrant students in New York City middle schools. In 2020, Astou became the Assistant Principal of Humanities at Canarsie Ascend Middle School in Brooklyn, New York where she supported ELA teachers as they navigated the complexities of executing high-quality and equitable remote instruction during a global pandemic.
By 2021, Astou was selected as a Teach For America Capitol Hill Fellow where she leveraged her experiences as an undocumented and black educator to impact equitable outcomes for marginalized communities of color at the office of U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren. She currently leads policy and advocacy efforts at ImmSchools, an immigrant-led non-profit organization that works to transform K-12 schools into safe and welcoming spaces for immigrant-origin students and families.
About I Stand With Immigrants
The I Stand With Immigrants / I Am An Immigrant Initiative, powered by the FWD.us Education Fund, Inc., leads narrative campaigns that empower immigrants and allies to share their stories and drive action that demonstrate how immigration is good for our communities, economy, and country. We do this with the goal of encouraging everyone to explore their individual heritage and celebrate both our distinct and shared experiences.
About The Word | A Storytelling Sanctuary
The Word | A Storytelling Sanctuary is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded in 2016 to support literary creatives identifying from marginalized communities across race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and emotional and physical disabilities. The Word is community-led, with a 100% BIPOC-identifying board and staff, with intersectional identities in LQBTQIAP2S+ and disabled communities. The Word challenges the practices that perpetuate bias that are reliant on outdated stereotypes to determine who writes, publishes, and reviews literature. The Word does this by providing concrete tools and knowledge; building intentional community; increasing visibility; amplifying equity conversations; and advocating for systemic change within the industry. For more information visit https://www.thewordfordiversity.org/ and follow us on Instagram/X @wordisdiversity.
Our mission is storytelling for collective abundance. We center authentic storytelling for BIPOC, LGBTQIAP2S+, neurodiverse, and disabled communities; support and connect writers, publishers, booksellers, and readers; explore and build collective models for the literary ecosystem; and hold safe space in community. Our main programs include the Editor-Writer Mentorship, [margins.] Literary Conference + Book Festival, and #MarginsBookselling, including the BIPOC Bookseller Award. We always have new events and programming to share, so we hope you’ll check out thewordfordiversity.org to stay up-to-date and connected.