The Truth to Power Club of Ashland High School has been evolving since 2020, through their desire to address social justice issues, be responsive to community needs and explore edgy topics. They promote diverse teen voices that concern them and their peers and they are succeeding by leaps and bounds.
There are nine club officers and thirty active members that work in teams under the guidance of an Ashland High School teacher and advisor, Shane Abrams. Isadora Millay and Anya Moore are co-presidents of the club, and Tara Vivrette and Zia Brandstetter are Peace House intern liaisons.
Anyone watching this group, especially since their involvement in the mutual aid drive after the Almeda Fire, knows that they are serious and committed to their goals, and are manifesting new and socially relevant energy in Ashland and the Rogue Valley.
As indicated on the Ashland School District’s website: “The Ashland High School Truth to Power recently gained approval from the City of Ashland to install a mural, “The BIPOC of the Rogue Valley Celebration,” on the walls of Ashland High School, facing out towards Mountain Avenue. They created a series of portraits of Ashland HIgh School and Rogue Valley human rights activists.”
After the senseless shooting of former AHS student, Aidan Ellison, a Black teenager, TTP envisioned a vital need for this sort of a statement, communicating a need for social justice through art and honoring local citizens through their art creation. This mural honors Aidan’s life by celebrating BIPOC changemakers.
Truth To Power also gives to our community through their carefully produced podcasts which can be found on YouTube or Spotify under their project title, “Tea, Toast and Truth.” They have covered a variety of critical issues including teen suicide, houselessness and a three-part series on the Almeda Fire that ends with a focus on how to handle grief and trauma.
To accompany each podcast, TTP executes at least one service project that improves the lives of our neighbors and promotes social justice. Such projects as the wall and BIPOC Celebration, as well as the podcasts, reflect Truth To Power’s vision and goals as stated in their own words.
TTP Vision:
“Truth To Power seeks to ensure a place of dignity for everyone in our community…We model and promote diverse teen voices, passion, curiosity, leadership, and allyship. This will lead to advancement of inclusive and diverse conversations, and cultivate positive changes for our local community centered around inclusion of all and increased involvement and awareness about social and political movements so as to truly grow as a community.
In a world wrought by climate change and inequities, we speak our truth to all the proponents of power in modern America. We organize around common values; lend our energy, passion, and intelligence to movements; advance inclusive and diverse conversations; and seek to cultivate positive changes for our local community.
We are also interested in investigating new, creative approaches to social justice and community outreach to bring fresh ideas to the attention of our community.”
It has been our pleasure, at Peace House, to interact with Co-President, Isadora Millay, as well as Peace House interns Tara Vivrette and Zia Brandsetter as liaisons, as we discover what role Peace House can play in supporting their work. By sponsoring them under our nonprofit status, Peace House invites tax-deductible donations to help them secure their dreams for more projects and activities.
