Ableism & Social Justice: Day of Discussion and Understanding
Each year, the Michael H. Feldman Social Justice Day at CSW focuses on a specific and relevant social justice topic.
Each year, the Michael H. Feldman Social Justice Day at CSW focuses on a specific and relevant social justice topic.
On Thursday, April 16, the daylong event of workshops and discussions is focused on ableism, in an effort to create awareness about various types of mental and physical disabilities. Working collaboratively to organize the event, the Diversity Committee and the students participating in Init, a youth leadership program, developed the theme. Overseen by LeeAnn Brash, math Teacher and faculty advisor for the Diversity Committee, workshops will be coordinated and led by faculty, staff and students. Some include topics such as audism, adaptive sports and recreation, learning disabilities, mental illness stigma, deaf-blind immersion, and ableism and allyship.
Michael Feldman ’67 died in 1975, at the age of 25. After graduating from CSW, Michael attended Dartmouth College and later went on to study law at the Georgetown Law Center. Bright, socially conscious, and highly motivated, Michael hoped to use his legal training to represent individuals who could not afford their own legal defense with the New York State Public Defender’s Association.
The annual Michael H. Feldman Social Justice Day serves as a permanent memorial to the late alumnus, who devoted his young life to seeking justice and serving others in need. The Feldman family created the Michael H. Feldman Trust in his memory to help fund programs which celebrate the spirit of the causes he held dear and bring awareness to social justice issues. Formerly known as Law Day, this is the 39th Michael H. Feldman Social Justice Day at CSW.
Especially exciting is this year’s keynote speaker Maysoon Zayid, founder of Maysoon’s Kids, an education and wellness program for disabled and wounded refugee children. Maysoon was a delegate at the 2008 Democratic National Convention, a speaker at TED Women 2013, a 2013 honoree of United Cerebral Palsy of NYC’s Women Who Care Awards, and has been an on-air contributor and columnist. An actress, writer and comedian, she has also appeared in film, performed in clubs and headlined on prominent tours.
"If a wheelchair user can't play Beyonce, then Beyonce can't play a wheelchair user," shared Maysoon.
On Thursday, April 16, the daylong event of workshops and discussions is focused on ableism, in an effort to create awareness about various types of mental and physical disabilities. Working collaboratively to organize the event, the Diversity Committee and the students participating in Init, a youth leadership program, developed the theme. Overseen by LeeAnn Brash, math Teacher and faculty advisor for the Diversity Committee, workshops will be coordinated and led by faculty, staff and students. Some include topics such as audism, adaptive sports and recreation, learning disabilities, mental illness stigma, deaf-blind immersion, and ableism and allyship.
Michael Feldman ’67 died in 1975, at the age of 25. After graduating from CSW, Michael attended Dartmouth College and later went on to study law at the Georgetown Law Center. Bright, socially conscious, and highly motivated, Michael hoped to use his legal training to represent individuals who could not afford their own legal defense with the New York State Public Defender’s Association.
The annual Michael H. Feldman Social Justice Day serves as a permanent memorial to the late alumnus, who devoted his young life to seeking justice and serving others in need. The Feldman family created the Michael H. Feldman Trust in his memory to help fund programs which celebrate the spirit of the causes he held dear and bring awareness to social justice issues. Formerly known as Law Day, this is the 39th Michael H. Feldman Social Justice Day at CSW.
Especially exciting is this year’s keynote speaker Maysoon Zayid, founder of Maysoon’s Kids, an education and wellness program for disabled and wounded refugee children. Maysoon was a delegate at the 2008 Democratic National Convention, a speaker at TED Women 2013, a 2013 honoree of United Cerebral Palsy of NYC’s Women Who Care Awards, and has been an on-air contributor and columnist. An actress, writer and comedian, she has also appeared in film, performed in clubs and headlined on prominent tours.
"If a wheelchair user can't play Beyonce, then Beyonce can't play a wheelchair user," shared Maysoon.
The Cambridge School of Weston is a progressive high school for day and boarding students in grades 9–12 and PG. CSW's mission is to provide a progressive education that emphasizes deep learning, meaningful relationships, and a dynamic program that inspires students to discover who they are and what their contribution is to their school, their community and the world.