Youth Organizer Internship

Do you know someone who is looking to refine their skills in outreach, fundraising, media work, public speaking and events organizing? Wayside is seeking applicants for a 12-week youth organizing internship in Richmond this spring! Interns will learn more about popular education and community organizing within the context of longer-term strategy and will help to plan the Wayside Commons.

The program begins on April 30th and ends on July 23rd. The workload will vary but will average 10 hours per week with some evening and weekend work required. Interns will receive a $100 per week stipend, reimbursement for travel expenses and a full scholarship to The Multi-lingual Organizer Skills Weekend in early May.

The ideal candidates will be based in Richmond, between the ages of 18 and 25 and have at least a minimal level of prior social justice involvement. One of the positions requires fluency in English and Spanish. Applications from communities directly affected by immigration or criminal injustice issues will receive priority consideration.

Download an application here.
Application deadline is April 15th. Download the application and mail it to Wayside Center 1100 Mill Pond Road Faber, VA 22938 or answer the questions in an e-mail to info@waysidecenter.org.

Building a Multiracial Movement

Some Suggestions for White Folks
on Loving our Role in the Struggle

Movement work has changed in the United States since Occupy started. Internationally, of course, much bigger changes have been underway for longer. And for us back here at home, the change means that we're seeing a surge of new people, new allies, involved in struggles for justice. With these exciting numbers and new collaboration comes opportunity and challenges.

One great challenge to be met head-on is internalized racism. To put it bluntly, even when we mean well, white folks often tend to walk around oblivious to our unearned privilege and its effects. We stumble along, take up too much space, assume people agree with us, step on toes and sometimes more. White supremacy confuses our powers of perception even as we think we're working towards justice. And now, with so many new people involved, so many new connections between existing groups happening, so many people just beginning the life-long journey of unlearning racism, the problem of internalized racism is even more visible in our activist circles...

Read more

Why Multilingual Matters: Interpreting For Everybody

Wayside has made a commitment to build and amplify voices and languages not often heard in organizing and movement spaces. We are working in Virginia and DC with organizations that see the need, and the organizing power, of connecting people across race and language especially in immigrant communities. When we begin to see language as a tool of empowerment that gives value to people's culture and way of being, our organizations grow in heart, experience, and perspective. When we begin to see that interpreting is not just "for" mono-lingual non-English speakers but in fact for everyone who is unable to understand all languages present in a conversation, we can begin to see people working from abundance and not deficiency. When we interpret well, we open space for the jokes, the perspectives and the soul of everyone in the room to come through, building deeper solidarity, democracy, and a broader movement for change.

As we continue to build interpreting capacity through trainings, consultations, and providing interpretation at Wayside and beyond, we are continually touched by the power and value of diverse voices and perspectives communicating with one another. We are in the midst of exciting times, and as we Occupy and collectively address the economic crisis and inequalities of this world, let us continue to lift up and amplify all voices. As we grow our movement, let's make sure that our dreams, struggles and visions are heard in the voice and language that most truly expresses our deepest desires and hopes!

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