Linguistic Liberty and Social Justice for All

In this episode, Ms. Ruskamp and I explore issues pertaining to language diversity and social activism.  She shares some insight into her experiences attending school in Oakland, CA during the Ebonics Controversy.  

Ms. Simone Akila Ruskamp (she/her) is a Black woman who loves Black people. She is a co-founder of Juneteenth Santa Barbara as well as Healing Justice Santa Barbara. She has led successful campaigns to center de-escalation and affirmation of life in Santa Barbara police use of force policies, secure monies for mental health positions instead of additional funding for law enforcement, establish city and county institutional support for Black cultural events, and to designate sites of Black Santa Barbara history as historical landmarks to protect them from gentrification. She currently is one of the driving forces behind the forming police oversight commission in Santa Barbara, an organizing effort spanning over four years.

Simone is a Masters of Social Work student at Howard University where she is a John E. & Barbara S. Jacob Social Justice Fellow and ambassador for the HBCU Center for Excellence in Behavioral Health. She studies Afrocentric approaches to healing and therapy. Simone is the former Vice President of Howard University's School of Social Work Student Council Association and is currently a student representative to the DC Chapter of the National Association of Black Social Workers.

Healing Justice Santa Barbara website:  https://www.hjsb.org/

Social Media:  https://www.instagram.com/simoneakila