In this episode of Social Justice Origin Stories, Relando is joined by Tony Nelson, who explores his development from his rural Michigan upbringing to becoming an active participant in progressive movements and education. Tony revisits the significance of his time as an undergraduate student at Grand Valley State University, recalling how attending a campus presentation by Jane Elliott served as a starting point for his emerging consciousness and involvement as a student on campus. Tony also reflects on his years of work at the intersections of social justice, higher education, and the study abroad field, and his regular disappointment in top-down faculty and administrator relationship dynamics with students as an important turning point in his development, motivating him to think of ways he could influence educators and administrators to relate to students differently.
Tony shares that traditional education models are not liberating and don't do a good job of creating critical consciousness, and Popular Education provides many tools for rethinking how we approach teaching and learning.
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01:51 Personal Journey and Reflections
04:01 College Experiences and Activism
07:12 Transformative Moments in Education
09:46 Engagement with Social Justice Movements
28:27 Mentorship and Teaching Philosophy
33:50 Challenging Negative Conversations About Students
35:41 Developing Solidarity as Praxis
37:51 Understanding Solidarity vs. Allyship
42:46 Mentors and Influences in Social Justice Work
48:01 The Importance of Community in Social Justice
51:59 Final Reflections and Gratitude
01:30:12 Closing Remarks and Call to Action