The Equity & Justice Institute

Lecture Series

The Equity & Justice Distinguished Lecture Series is a key feature of the Equity & Justice Institute.

The series helps stimulate dialogue among students, educators and community leaders committed to tackling the problems of racism, poverty, war, environmental degradation, educational inequities, religious persecution, genocide and other forms of injustice. Every year, we feature a guest speaker or film screening that specifically enhances our existing curriculum on the Holocaust and other forms of genocide and/or religious oppression.

The theme of the 2025-26 lecture series is Earth, Equity and Action. This series explores the intersections of science, justice and innovation to build a sustainable and equitable future. Each event will feature leading voices from science, activism, design and community organizing, offering bold ideas and tangible solutions for addressing the climate crisis through an equity lens.

These events are free and open to the public. If you are not a member of the Crossroads community and you would like to be notified of upcoming Lecture Series events, please click here.

Next Speaker

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Xiye Bastida

Join us for the next event in this year’s Lecture Series programming—a special evening with Xiye Bastida, a globally recognized youth climate leader whose work centers Indigenous wisdom, community-driven solutions and collective responsibility. Xiye’s talk invites us to imagine and build a just and livable future grounded in care for the Earth and one another.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Xiye Bastida is a Mexican climate justice activist and storyteller. She is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Re-Earth Initiative, a global youth-led organization supporting resource distribution and frontline leadership. Of Otomi-Toltec heritage, Xiye integrates Indigenous worldviews of reciprocity, interdependence, and intergenerational responsibility into global climate advocacy. She began her activism after her hometown of San Pedro Tultepec, Mexico, experienced heavy flooding. Since then, she has become a leading voice in the youth climate movement, organizing climate strikes, advocating at the United Nations, and championing systemic, justice-centered climate solutions. Through Re-Earth Initiative, she supports youth-led, nature-based projects across the Global South and works to shift climate narratives toward imagination, equity, and collective power. Xiye is a Planetary Guardian, a Climate Advisor for the Rockefeller Foundation, and a UN High-Level Champion Ambassador. She has been recognized as a TIME100 Next honoree, and is a recipient of the UN Spirit Award.

DETAILS
Wednesday, March 11
6-8 p.m.
Crossroads School for Arts & Sciences
Roth Hall—21st Street Campus
1714 21st St., Santa Monica CA, 90404

This event is free and open to the public.
Register Here

Lecture Series

Event Recordings

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Art & Activism in the LGBTQ+ Community

On May 11, 2023, the Crossroads School Equity & Justice Institute hosted a moderated talk with a diverse panel of LGBTQ+ activists, advocates and artists who discussed the role of art, spectacle and creative expression in the movement for LGBTQ+ rights.

Watch Recording
Elizabeth Ito

On April 17, 2023, the Crossroads School Equity & Justice Institute welcomed writer and director Elizabeth Ito to campus to discuss the inspiration behind her Peabody-Award winning children’s animated Netflix series, “City of Ghosts.” The show celebrates Los Angeles’ diverse neighborhoods while exploring subjects including language, Indigenous cultures, gentrification, tradition and family.

Watch Recording