The Elon University Social Justice Social was an opportunity for students, faculty and staff to connect for meaningful conversations and community.
Students, faculty and staff from social justice-related programs and courses at Elon University came together on Young Commons to share their personal experiences with injustice and how their organizations are assisting in the fight toward social equality.
The event on Oct. 7 was hosted by the Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies program, including program co-coordinators Lauren Guilmette, associate professor of philosophy and Leyla Savloff, assistant professor of anthropology.
Sam Hilton ’25, a public health studies major with a minor in peace & conflict studies, began the performance with a statement on joy and liberation.
“We honor the power of community and we stand in solidarity with all who face oppression. We create spaces that foster connection, support and understanding among feminists where we can listen, learn and amplify each other’s voices,” said Hilton.
Representatives from spring courses like “Global Film and Cultures” and “Latin American Studies” provided information on their projects and highlighted the intersection of art, education and activism.
Jayla Martin-Beasley ’25 captivated the audience with her poem titled, “Five Stories About Smoking,” detailing the connection between grief and intergenerational trauma through how the relationship between her father and cigarettes affects her.
“It was small, it was brown, wrapped up in plastic and to an 8-year-old I just knew it was candy,” Martin-Beasley recalled, referencing the confusion of Black & Mild cigars. “It was like a fumigation to kill the bugs and (he) walked through the hallways and rooms, puffing and blowing like fumigation, leaving his poison sent to choke out the weak and the small.” Her poem portrayed the suffocating effect addiction had on her as a little girl.
Mackenzie Smith ’25 closed the Social Justice Social with her poem about her journey with Misophonia. Misophonia is a disorder in which certain sounds can trigger emotional or physical responses, often described as a “fight or flight” reaction. She described her struggle with mispronouncing the word “wrong.”
“Desperate to be wrong like my peers, practicing in the mirror for hours but no one could tell me what the issue was or how I was saying it, it was just wrong,” she said. “Now I speak with steel, surgical and sharp, made machine my own out of muscle and mucus.”
Elon’s Social Justice Social reminded participants of the strength of storytelling and communal gathering. Together, these voices highlighted what Elon students are doing to spread social awareness while using their own experiences to create a safe space for others to do the same.