ABOUT (2016-2018)
“The interpreter is a curator, community organizer, activator, and instigator. A curator because interpreters can also convene people and objects. A community organizer because our principal role is listening and facilitating. An activator because our bodies are a vehicle for communication, and functional communication produces sparks, makes fire. An instigator because we actively work to demolish language hierarchies as they become real in space and time. ”
The Language of Justice Project is a multimedia oral history project organized by Allison Corbett, dedicated to the celebration of multilingual spaces and the people who create and maintain them. The name is a playful re-phrasing of language justice, which refers to the right of everyone to be able to communicate in the language in which they are most comfortable. The name is also a nod to the Zapatista ideal of a “world in which many worlds fit.” The language of justice must also be one that includes many languages.
Language is one of our most sacred and personal forms of expression — it shapes how we think, dream, speak, love, and see the world, therefore creating a space where all languages are valued is a way of creating a space where all people are valued. This is especially important for movements that work for racial and social justice.
Multilingual spaces, those special places where communication among the people that are present is prioritized over a reliance on a dominant language (like English), are only possible through the intentional planning of organizers, the work of trained interpreters, and the use of specialized equipment. The goal of the Language of Justice Project is to share and make visible the stories and experiences of the language workers and community members who are essential to creating spaces of language justice. We honor this transformative work by creating a platform to listen to and learn from those individuals whose work is essential to guaranteeing that all languages and peoples get a seat at the table and are heard in the struggle.
LISTEN
All translations done by Allison Corbett, with help from Fernanda Espinosa, Laura Valdes and Juliana Torres.