This workshop will explore the importance of ethnic studies and share values around activism in education. The event will include a panel of speakers and a Q&A from the audience. Our goal is to highlight important legislation, share strategies/tactics, and find ways to support each other’s advocacy/organizing.
Sue J. Kim, Ph.D.
Sue J. Kim is Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies, College of Fine Arts, Humanities, & Social Science; Co-Director of the Center for Asian American Studies; and Professor of English at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. She is author of On Anger: Race, Cognition, Narrative (2013) and Critiquing Postmodernism in Contemporary Discourses of Race (2009) and co-editor of Rethinking Empathy Through Literature (2014). She has served on the Association for Asian American Studies Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of the International Society for the Study of Narrative. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Lowell TeleMedia Center, the Lowell Southeast Asian Water Festival, and Angkor Dance Troupe.
Mai Du
Mai Du has been a community advocate and activist since the early 1990s. As a youth leader, Mai took part in co-founding the Coalition for Asian Pacific American Youth (CAPAY), which engaged AAPI youth across Massachusetts to give voice and visibility to the Asian Pacific American youth experiences and work towards positive social change. Throughout her undergraduate and graduate studies at Tufts University, where she earned a Masters in Education focusing on Racial Ethnic Studies and School and Community Collaborations, Mai continued to commit to community organizing and grassroots advocacy throughout the Greater Boston area. Formerly serving as the Director of Volunteer Resources, Youth Programs, and International Social Services for the American Red Cross of Massachusetts Bay, and a Kumon Math and Reading Instructor and Franchisee, Mai currently operates and teaches at her own martial arts establishment for the Wah Lum Kung Fu & Tai Chi Academy in both Malden and Quincy.
Mai Du is the co-founder and board member of the Greater Malden Asian American Community Coalition (GMAACC) and United States Dragon and Lion Dance Federation, board member of the South Cove Community Health Center, Asian Community Development Corporation (ACDC), and Maria Droste Counseling Services. She is also the Regional Director of the United States Kou Shu (Kung Fu) Federation. Most recently, Mai has co-founded the Coalition for Anti-Racism and Equity (CARE) in Education and is championing the statewide effort to pass MA legislation H.584 & S.365: Act Relative to Anti-Racism, Equity, and Justice in Education. Weaving into all these engagements, Mai enjoys practicing mindfulness and appreciating all things of nature.
Billy Zeng
Ziyi “Billy” Zeng (he/him) is a current first-year at Tufts University interested in studying the intersections of biopsychology and civic studies. As one of the co-founders of MassYouth4CARE, a statewide youth coalition advocating for Bills S.365 and H.584: An Act relative to anti-racism, equity, & justice in education, he is passionate about centering marginalized youth voices and inclusive classrooms. Zeng’s community organizing work in his hometown of Malden, Massachusetts focuses on increasing the youth presence across the city, and ensuring that they have opportunities to become politically involved. Earlier this fall, he co-organized a youth-led candidates forum for the 2021 Malden municipal election.
Commissioner Meena Bharath (Moderator)
Meena Bharath currently serves as the Vice-Chair on the Hopkinton School Committee. Serving on the School Committee has allowed Meena to explore education through a unique perspective. he currently serves as a Board Member at The Education Cooperative (TEC), plays a liaison role to the Planning Board in Hopkinton, and is a voting member on the Marathon Fund Committee. She actively advocates for the educational welfare of all students as well as supports diversity and inclusion initiatives.
She loves to spend time to connect with people, and takes pride in her leadership skills, integrity, hard work, quick-learning, collaborative and can-do attitude. She is grateful for her family, diverse background, life experiences and support of her friends and community which have made her life very rich and fulfilling.