On Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, 40 EFC community members of all ages (board members, supporters, and prospective Encampers) discussed changes in the U.S. as a result of the recent election. As always, the heart of the InterGen Café is that people talk in small groups about the topics that engage them the most.The Encampment community responded to the newest challenges in these key areas: Immigration, Mental Health; Hate Crimes; Social Issues and Education; and Media. One participant commented that all the report-backs shared similar themes: the need for educating ourselves, sharing resources and the importance of community in supporting ourselves and targeted groups during these challenging times.
Immigration
Maribel Mendoza (alum 2021–22) reported from the group that focused on immigration that most members of the group had a personal connection to immigration — being part of an immigrant family, knowing someone who is an immigrant or undocumented. Two lawyers (Shauna Marshall and Bob Hirsch, alums 1970) talked about ways that we can affect policy and said that being in contact with the “know your rights” groups can help in case of ICE raids and mass deportations.
Click for a clip of the heartfelt way Maribel ended her report.
Imani Jimenez-Ireeta (alum 2022–23) added, “We talked about the importance of mental health in the next four years — not only knowing what can help us rights-wise but uplifting each other within our communities.”
Mental Health
Jason Boyd (alum 2022) said the group contained several social workers or psychologists who could lend support in talking about this topic. They emphasized “the importance of educating oneself about the challenges faced by the transgender community, since you can’t really be an ally to any group without knowing what they are going through.” He also talked about how important it is to talk with other people — part of being an ally and mental health is talking with each other. Click to hear Jason’s words.
Group members provided several personal strategies for maintaining mental health, including mindfulness through meditation, cats, boxing, and other forms of exercise.
Hate Crimes
Sol Praxis (2023 staff) said it was “so good to be in this space. I’m really grateful to be able to be a part of this. We talked about how many of us have already seen, both in digital spaces and with family members and friends, that there are a lot of more emboldened right-wing folks and hate speech occurring in our spaces. We have to be vigilant, basically geographically, based on whether we go in our city or if we go into a rural area versus the spaces we’re usually in. We talked about the need to be vigilant and aware, as well as to show up and stand up next to any folks who are being targeted with hate speech.”
She said that Bridgett Ortega shared some resources, including an interactive map (see Resources under Hate Crimes below: MAP), a hate crime laws map showing the laws in various states. “It’s really important to know what kind of legal protections, or perhaps lack of legal protections, there may be in your state, and you can assess the different situations and be aware of the protections that may exist.”
The group also discussed the importance of recognizing that even though these hateful elements have been emboldened, there are far more caring good people out there, and that “it’s necessary for us to show up for each other; build relationships; identify those safe, good people in your life; and have conversations about how you can protect each other, share information about which spaces are safe to be in, and what spaces or institutions are not safe.”
She provided the FBI Hate Crimes link in the chat (see Resources, below) and said it was important to defend our rights now, even if this agency might become less of a resource over time due to being a federal agency.
Bridgett added to the report by providing a link for the Anti-Defamation League that allows identifying hate crimes in your area and identifying hate groups (see Resources, below).
Social Issues and Education
Ariella O’Garro (alum 2022/check) said, “We introduced each other — it was really fun — and why we are interested in this group. A lot of the group were either students or teachers or help out in the education industry. We highlighted language in education and how it can hinder safe spaces for students or the ability to teach.”
Steve Leibman (board) added that the Encampment had recently posted a statement concerning Project 2025 [link] on our website, which connects to the Encampment’s impact on education that addresses social issues. He acknowledged board member Marquise Steward, who wrote the first draft and encouraged the board’s participation. He asserted that the Encampment would keep providing resources for the EFC community and “telling the truth.”
Board member Maria Hernandez emphasized the importance of maintaining open dialogue and awareness about social issues. She highlighted the need for the InterGen Cafés as places where we are keeping it real. She acknowledged Faith Kares (board) as connecting to the need for critical thinking and not giving in to misinformation or systems that want to erase history. Click to hear an excerpt.
Media
Ursa Shabazz (alum 2020-22-23) said all the breakout groups had some relationship to media. They talked about the impact of AI on our access to information, both its use in distributing mis- or disinformation and its negative environmental impact (see Resources for links that explain this connection). They also highlighted the importance of in-person connections with people from all different backgrounds that were cultivated at the Encampment.
Click to hear Ursa talk about using a local community access station to be your own journalist.
The group emphasized the importance of standing up for vulnerable groups. Cindy Shapiro (supporter) pointed out that it’s crucial to ask for a group’s consent before doing anything that might expose them to more vulnerability.
Jesus Salcido (Program Director) encouraged participants to reach out to their networks with recruitment materials for the 2025 Encampment. Click here for more information. He also encouraged involvement in the board committees — alum outreach, program, and fundraising. You do not have to be a board member to participate! Click here if you are interested.
Aaron Richardson (board) took this opportunity to let people know that 85% of the Encampment’s income comes from individual donors and invite people to donate. Click to hear what he had to say.
He shared a donation link.
The InterGen Café is a place for the EFC community to come together to dialogue, educate one another, and provide resources and support. In that spirit, we end with the sentiments from the Hate Crimes group: “… it’s important to recognize that even though these hateful elements have been emboldened, there are far more caring good people out there, and it’s necessary for us to show up for each other; build relationships; identify those safe, good people in your life; and have conversations about how you can protect each other, share information about which spaces are safe to be in, and what spaces or institutions are not safe.”
Mark your calendars! The next InterGen Café will be March 22, 2025/2 PM PT/3 PM MT/4 PM CT/5 PM ET.
2025 Encampment Announcements
Do you know a young person (15-18) who is ready to make a difference in their community? We are accepting applications for the 2025 Encampment.
Click to learn more and apply.
We are hiring temporary staff for the 2025 summer program.
Click to view the Residence Assistant & Recreation Facilitator job announcement.
Click to view the Facilitator of Visual Art and Community Health job announcement.
Resources — with thanks to Roni King, Nancy Marr, Nate Chandler, Bridgett Ortega, Kelly Andrade, Sol Praxis, Ursa Shabazz, and Steve Davis.
Immigration
Swap Meet Justice https://swapmeetjustice.org/
Hate Crimes
Movement Advancement Progress (MAP) equality and democracy maps https://www.lgbtmap.org/equality_maps/hate_crime_laws
FBI Hate Crimes https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/civil-rights/hate-crimes
Anti-Defamation League https://www.adl.org/
Southern Poverty Law Center https://www.splcenter.org/hate-map/
Environmental Impact of AI Technology
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/ais-climate-impact-goes-beyond-its-emissions/
Toward the goal of countering misinformation (online newsletters), suggested by Roni King (alum 1971) with comments.
Recommendations by Marc Elias of Democracy Docket newsletter:
- Civil Discourse with Joyce Vance: One of my daily must-reads by an extraordinary lawyer, writer. and person.
- Emptywheel: One of the joys of independent media is reading people like Marcy Wheeler. She offers a unique insight on so many topics, particularly legal ones.
- Letters from an American: The newsletter from the iconic Heather Cox Richardson.
- Platformer: Good technology reporting. Casey Newton is the best.
- Popular Information: Judd Legum has built a pro-democracy, anti-corporatist powerhouse.
- Punchbowl: The go-to outlet for what is happening in Congress.
General Social Justice
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) https://www.aclu.org/
If Not Now (Jewish organization that opposes Israel’s action in Gaza) https://www.ifnotnowmovement.org/
Friends of the Congo https://friendsofthecongo.org/campaigns/
The Encampment is an intergenerational community-building organization with a profound approach to social justice education. It’s a unique space where young people (15-18) meet peers from different backgrounds, and live and learn together. Together, they find and develop their leadership and organizing skills. This community-building nourishes the seeds of democracy. You can help build support for the EFC’s work by sharing this post with your network!
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