American Voices: Invisibility, Art, and Educational Justice is a three-part series presented by Puget Sound University's Race and Pedagogy department. The series features educators, scholars, artists, and activists whose work stimulates critical intellectual engagement about issues of racial justice and educational reform.

Thursday, April 25, the series culminates in a collaboration between Tacoma's Fab-5 and poet, writer, activist and teacher Walidah Imarisha.

The spoken word performance, New Faces, New Voices: The Role of Youth in Educational Justice, will take place at 7 p.m. in Schneebeck Concert Hall. Entrance is free and everyone is welcome. Tickets are not required.

In a recent video interview, University Prof. Dexter Gordon characterized Imarisha "as a link generation between the civil rights generation and the hip-hop generation."

Imarisha is indeed a link between the two generations, as a spoken word artist, teacher and advocate, but she is also a link between youth and mentors who are willing to put young people at the forefront of education and justice.

"My framework for approaching this performance is focusing on youth leadership and youth empowerment," says Imarisha. "I can speak as an ally and as someone who studies history and studies and has participated in social movements for change."

A firm believer in using history as a tool to understand the pressures and prejudices that plague young people today, Imarisha pursues the sometimes uncomfortable conversations that need to happen in order to view trial, tribulation and triumph in all it's facets - past, present and future.

Imarisha says her performance will embody examples of working systems of social change.

"The foundational idea for this piece is that any successful movement for social justice and transformational change has had youth at the center of it," she says. "It is not enough to include youth voices - we must make sure they are in the leadership of the educational justice movement, and all movements for justice. Organizations like the Rethinkers in New Orleans or Youth United for Change in Pennsylvania show clearly that youth-led organizations have the ability to envision a whole new educational system."

Fab-5 is an ideal collaborative partner for Imarisha. Born in 2000, Fab-5's mission is to allow youth to develop and explore their unique voices through a variety of different urban arts mediums via DJing, legal graffiti, breakdancing and lyricists lounge workshops.

In addition, and right in line with Imarisha's ideals, Fab-5 believes that youth are the ones who influence others to change, and by empowering youth via self-expression, their programs build solid leaders and community minded individuals through mentorship, leadership and positive role models.

SCHNEEBECK CONCERT HALL, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 7 P.M., FREE, UNIVERSITY OF PUGET SOUND, 1500 N. WARNER, TACOMA, 253.879.2435, PUGETSOUND.EDU/RACEANDPEDAGOGY