Seeds of justice taking root, growing on Long Island

embers from 21 Long Island local unions met up this spring to focus on building strategic action plans to enhance social justice in their communities and the union.

Over two packed days they participated in one of the several NYSUT Many Threads, One Fabric trainings and then completed an organizing lab where they put their new skills into action building a social justice plan to meet the specific needs of their community.

“This is our second Social Justice Conference here on Long Island,” said NYSUT Secretary-Treasurer J. Philippe Abraham, whose office coordinates the union’s social justice initiatives.

“When an event comes back for a second time, that means something is taking root. That means something is growing because we’ve started planting seeds … seeds of justice. And when you plant seeds of justice, sooner or later, they grow into movements,” Abraham added. “This movement happening on Long Island is crucial because when a child walks into our schools, they shouldn’t have to wonder if they belong. They should feel it.”

Long Island locals originally came together at the first regional conference in August 2025. At this year’s event, members were able to participate in three different trainings: Safe Zones, Reversing Runaway Inequality, and Sticks and Stones: Understanding Implicit Bias, Microaggressions and Stereotypes.

The conference was organized by Leslie Rose, co-president of the Hewlett-Woodmere Faculty Association and Malcolm Gilbert, president of the Massapequa Federation of Teachers, in collaboration with the NYSUT Social Justice department.

“It is important to know there are fellow union members in our region who want to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with us to do the work,” Rose and Gilbert said. “Whether it’s finding someone to organically understand the nuances of the region or someone to be a familiar face at a rally, this community benefits all who are a part of it.”

To learn more about NYSUT Social Justice and to sign up to attend a training or become a trainer yourself, visit nysut.org/socialjustice.