With Words, presented by The Center for Leadership & Social Change, focuses on the awareness of prevalent social justice issues. This year's event will be Monday, April 3- Thursday, April 6 from 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. and Friday, April 7 from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. in the Globe Auditorium.
History of With Words
With Words at Florida State University was founded in 2008 as Without Words. A graduate student in higher education brought inspiration for WoW from her alma mater, Mercer University, where they have a similar event called Tunnel of Oppression. Tunnel of Oppression was originally founded at West Illinois University in the mid 1990s. Since the start of West Illinois' project, other schools have done similar programs such as the University of Maryland, Penn State University, Ohio State University, and University of Arizona.
This year's social justice issues include:
- Water Crisis
- Social Media
- Criminal Justice System
- Gentrification
| YEAR | SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES |
|---|---|
| 2008- 2009 | HIV/Aids Awareness, Women's Rights, Racial Discrimination, Environmental Issues, Hunger and Homelessness, and Mental Disabilities |
| 2009-2010 | Youth Issues (specifically adoption), Human Trafficking, Genocide, LGBTQ, Religious Discrimination, and Mental Health |
| 2010-2011 | War & Life of a Solider, Education, Immigration, Quality of Water, and Animal Welfare |
| 2011-2012 | Homelessness in Florida, College-Aged Addictions, Child Soldiers, American Correctional System, and Bullying |
| 2012-2013 | Physical Disabilities, Men's Issues and Masculinity, Greenwashing, and Land Rights of Indigenous People. |
| 2013 | Food Deserts, Eco-Toxicology, Educational Achievement/Opportunity Gap, and Human Trafficking |
| 2014 | Immigration, Sexual Violence, Racial Profiling, and HIV/AIDS Awareness |
| 2015 | Colorism, Domestic Violence, Body Image, and Rain Forest Preservation (Biodiversity) |