Story Slam
History forgets the "small folks,"
Their tales of unity, often untold.
Yet stories wield a mighty power,
Challenging beliefs, shaping what's bold.
Impact Circles Story Slam aims to elevate the untold stories about individual and collective actions to equip the community with change management tools and inspire individuals to “be the change they wish to see in the world”
Types of stories we elevate:
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Collective action on a public challenge or social / environmental justice issue
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System change triggered by a project or a group of people
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Unconventional personal decisions that positively impacted one's community
The tales that shaped the community
The CCSF Chinatown campus, located at the corner of Kearny and Washington, was constructed more than 20 years after its initial funding. A new 30-minute film, Block by Block, directed by Kevin Wong and Seng Chen, presents the many obstacles laid out by San Francisco big money and political power brokers as they waged a public relations war to stop the construction of a community college campus in Chinatown. Fueled by a sense of outrage, a grassroots community coalition, comprised of adult immigrant students and their instructors, family and district associations, and direct service nonprofits went toe-to-toe against these campus opponents led by the owners of the Hilton Hotel Financial District. The betrayal of certain Chinese American politicians made the community struggle more painful and intense. All these forces collided in a climatic vote shown in the film.
Impact Circles and SFCG's Continuing Education Committee invites you to a tour of the building, a viewing of the documentary, and a question and answer session with Joanne Low, the former dean of the campus, and Henry Der, the former executive director of Chinese for Affirmative Action.
