We know that being in debt makes it hard to study. At Debt Collective we believe that everyone should be able to study and learn for free. Education can lead to liberation if we collectively learn how to dismantle all the types of oppression that come from living the indebted life, and even shifting that oppression into collective power! That’s why political education is a crucial aspect of our growing movement. It allows us to build strong relationships and develop shared analysis, which is essential to building a debtors’ union! During 2023 our staff and volunteers will lead a series of political education events, named Jubilee School, which is available to our union members and comrades.
Check out all of our upcoming courses here.
Past courses can be found here.
Jubilee School themes will include political analysis on different types of mass indebtedness, racial capitalism, neoliberalism, decolonization, and more. Our work takes inspiration from a variety of sources which are not limited to:
Popular Education:
focuses on breaking down the teacher/student power dynamic and creating educational experiences which are meant to empower folks to tap into their personal and collective capacity to understand and transform their reality. Brazilian educator Paolo Friere is often credited with founding this field but it has long been practiced in social movements without a name (Freedom Schools, Myles Horton & The Highlander School, Ella Baker, etc.)
Critical Pedagogy:
taking inspiration from popular education and critical theory, seeks to find ways of teaching and learning that build critical consciousness for all involved; seeks to understand the logic of oppressive structures and collectively discuss how to challenge them and build alternatives
Movement-Based Pedagogies:
learning from various pedagogies practiced in social movements, from third world and Black feminisms to social movements in Latin America
Decolonizing Knowledge:
as part of a broader project of undoing the harms of colonialism (especially the theft of land), this includes acknowledging, uplifting and incorporating forms of knowledge and ways of being that colonial systems have long ignored, denigrated and attacked
Anti-Oppression Facilitation:
incorporating styles and norms of facilitation that break down barriers to participation/inclusion and challenge the subtle perpetuation of power, privilege and oppression
Somatics and Trauma-Informed Practice:
bringing in tools and techniques that acknowledge the widespread trauma that exists among people living under oppressive systems
Upcoming Events Related
to Jubilee School
Is a Debtors’ Revolution the Way?
At virtually every economic scale, debt propels the economy. The working poor pay for groceries and medical emergencies on their credit cards. Cities clear snow and pay kindergarten teachers using funds borrowed from Wall Street. States pave highways and staff prisons by issuing bonds. Nations borrow from global banks to rebuild electrical lines and water […]
Part of ourWRITING YOUR DEBT STORY | A Creative Writing Workshop – Part II
Nonfiction writer, educator, and Debt Collective member Kristin Collier will be offering a two-part creative writing workshop focused on telling your debt story. In part one of the workshop, we’ll look at sample writing, discuss focus, structure, language, and research, and do some writing and experimentation together. You’ll leave the session with a plan to […]
Part of ourCan’t Pay, Won’t Pay: Collective Price-Setting
with Stephen Piccarella Americans pay on average twice as much for healthcare as peer countries with 41% of us in medical debt. In a system that commodifies healthcare along with every other aspect of our survival, this crisis is not just lingering — it’s worsening. Why are we being charged exorbitant prices so many of […]
Part of ourBurdened: Student Debt and the Making of an American Crisis
College costs more today than ever and is worth less. Tuition at public colleges has more than tripled in the past 50 years. Over the same period student debt has grown from virtually nothing to more than $1.7 trillion, second only to home mortgages. Skyrocketing student-loan burdens are leading an entire generation to put off […]
Part of ourUniversity Keywords: Study and Struggle
Our session will put two keywords in relation that are essential to the fight ahead in higher education and beyond: study and struggle. How can we turn discussions about what we read and think into discussion for action? How does action lead to new forms of critical analysis? We will discuss how we imagine our […]
Part of ourFinding Each Other and the Stakes of Public Education
What opportunities do our present combined crises—of austerity and intensified facism—present us with in considering how we struggle over, or through public schools that have at once been sites of harm and violence; and also infrastructures through which communities forge survivance, solidarity, and a praxis of sanctuary? As it becomes increasingly clear that a return […]
Part of ourCan’t Pay, Won’t Pay: Rejecting Healthcare Costs
Autoreduction, Part 2 Healthcare costs in the United States are double that of comparably rich countries but with worse health outcomes across the board. We all need healthcare but if it’s both subpar and none of us can afford it, what are our options? Join us for the next session in our 3-part series on […]
Part of ourBuilding Blocks for Budget Justice
Amid political repression and a deepening affordability crisis, what can communities do to fight against austerity policies and for city budgets that give communities the resources they need to address their needs? Cities have to do more than elect progressive mayors and work towards specific policies or campaigns. They must work to democratize our democracy, […]
Part of our