The Most Important Time of Day: Empower Hour
by Patrick Szekely
Some may argue that our country’s current, tense state has caused the focus of politics to shift away from empowering disadvantaged citizens. It is left up to we the people to lift up those who need the support. It is imperative that students lead this cause because we are the future of our nation. We must set the precedent for what our generation values. Empowerment League and Voices are giving BU students a way to do just that.
This year, the two programs have joined together to foster a community and provide resources for activists to engage with the Boston community. Both program managers, Hailey Branchford and Olivia Mckellar, hope to strengthen the program’s community in order to more effectively achieve its mission of “furthering the understanding of social justice and individual empowerment.” Often times, the many obstacles blocking the path to equity leave those who are passionate about social justice feeling hopeless. Empowerment League and Voices hope to combat this issue through Empower Hours.
Empower Hours, cleverly named by Branchford, are meetings designed to enable the formation of a cohesive community within the program through a discussion on social justice issues. A typical meeting consists of reading articles that are relevant to the program’s different community partners and their missions, then discussing local and global issues with a receptive and dynamic group. The next Empower Hour, taking place on Novemebr 13th will have a guest speaker from Petey Greene, an organization that runs a tutoring and education program for individuals who are incarcerated.
In a time and place where empowerment is critical, Empowerment League and Voices hope to foster individual and community uplift. With the help of Empower Hours and increased dialogue between the community partners and volunteers, Branchford and McKellar hope to build a community of passionate individuals eager and prepared to work toward social justice. Come to an Empower Hour, and learn how you can be an agent of change in the world.
For more information visit the Empowerment League and Voices webpage.