“I Feel Fire Inside”
On January 28-29, 2025, “In the Life” sparked deep conversations and a fire in the people who attended. Many had never seen the film “Rustin” (2023), and for them, the screening, co-hosted by the Penn student group QBlack and The COLOURS Organization (a local nonprofit) was a revelation, rather than just a history lesson. Participants walked away with a new understanding of who Bayard Rustin was, why his contributions to the Civil Rights Movement had been downplayed, and what that means for Black queer leaders today.
On Day 2, Penn Director of Inclusion Initiatives and Social Justice Education Malik Muhammad and Penn Graduate School of Education Professor Ed Brockenbroug led an in-depth discussion that was rich and charged with urgency. They used the context laid by Day 1’s film screening to discuss present-day parallels and what comes next. The attendees spanned generations, with elders reflecting on the importance of learning and honoring past progress, while younger voices focused on the need to take charge and push for change now. One young person, still in the process of learning, felt a fire inside them, realizing for the first time that they too have power to make change in the world. They asked, “What can I do?” This moment illustrates the dominance that active listening had over passive engagement that I might’ve expected.
Muhammad and Brockenbrough guided the discussion in a way that allowed for both deep reflection and forward momentum. Muhammad brought energy and a strong aptitude for bridging the gap between young people in the university and those in the broader Philly community, emphasizing that these conversations shouldn’t stay within institutional walls. Brockenbrough provided academic insight that helped attendees connect Rustin’s experiences to the systemic barriers that still exist today.
As attendees from the African American Resource Center shared, “People were hungry for more than just food.” One thing was clear: this can’t be a one-time thing. People left wanting more, and they are ready to build on what was started here. Organizers and collaborators are currently discussing pathways for making this a recurring program that keeps growing, pushing, and lighting fires in all those who attend.