Participant Voices

• Activist, Exploring Class Workshop Participant, Bay Area: “The Exploring Class workshop is excellent and very pragmatic. It holds space for analysis, emotion, connection and reflection.”
• Nick Yaffee, Principal: “Class Action established a safe, supportive atmosphere for meaningful and powerful learning to further dialogue on class and race. Reflecting on our own personal histories around issues of class and examining how class differences affect our students’ success in school, they were able to engage, stimulate thought and reinvigorate our group.” 
  
• Andrea Walsh, Co-director, World Fellowship: “Class Action workshops provide an incomparable opportunity to share real feelings about real fear around money.”
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• Giavanna Munafo Associate Director for Training and Educational Program, Dartmouth College: “Class Action brought such clarity and passion to the issues that people were able to make both intellectual and emotional discoveries about themselves and the world around them.” 
  
• Portia Cornell, MA, MS Author of A Loss for Words, teacher & therapist: “Class Action workshops opened me to hidden biases I had about my class, my embarrassment, loneliness and the ways I have hidden from myself and others all my life. The workshops are a vigorous look at how our culture shapes us to stay within a small strata of culture, never admitting our isolation and prejudice that influence all our choices.”
  
• Heather E. Bullock, PhD, Chair of the American Psychological Association’s Committee: “Class Action is a true leader in the fight to end classism and bridge the class divide. Through their innovative workshops, outstanding website, and other activities, Class Action challenges classist stereotypes, raises awareness of the structures that contribute to deepening inequality, and fosters cross-class alliances.” 
  
• Jamon Franklin, Exploring Class Workshop Participant: “Class is so pervasive to our experiences, it’s hard to realize until you have specific space in which to talk about it.”
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• Mount Holyoke College Student: “I liked best sharing our class backgrounds and laughing together about things that would be much more hurtful alone.” “Space to speak about class issues (was most useful to me), talking about class as a common issue rather than addressing it as differences” 
  
• Adj Marshall: “I really respect this organization because they ask hard questions.”
• Iris May McGinnis: “I have taken several Class Action workshops and would take another if it came to town. It is such a safe non-judgmental place to discuss such a charged subject. Take one if you get a chance!” 
  
• Nonprofit director: “A wonderful – and interactive – presentation! Thank you for making this an excellent program – and a great foray into issues of class and environmental justice for all of us.” 
  
• Catherine D. David, Director of Communications, Shady Hill School: “Jenny’s presentation was terrific and very helpful in our school’s conversations about socioeconomic diversity.”
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Q: What learning will you carry back to your work and life?

• Community college maintenance worker: “Breaking the mold that we were born into and stepping into the new mold created by you.”
• Social worker: “Taking more client ideas into consideration.”
• Staff person of social service agency: “Although we are all put in different classes, we can all learn to work with one another regardless of our backgrounds. Respect one another and learn from one another. Hands-on activities – excellent job!”