Abstract:

What do progressive people do when they realize that there are victories we can no longer take for granted, particularly when we see some of those hard-fought victories being eroded? What do we do when we realize that what we're doing now -- what we did in the past -- to secure victories and move a progressive agenda forward may no longer be enough (if it ever was)?

The theme of this issue of Our Schools/Our Selves -- "Critical Mass: A primer for social change" tries to get at a few key questions: given social media, generational shifts, identity politics, financial challenges and an increasingly organized and well- funded conservative opposition, do we need to change how we "do" activism? Who are our teachers now -- and who will they be in the next few decades? What can we learn from those breaking new ground? And how do we build a movement that will continue to further our social justice goals, ensuring our continued progress towards a more just and equitable society for all of us?