I was proud to represent EdLoC at SXSW EDU 2024 and be among the disruptors and innovators who come together to push boundaries and drive progress. I was invited to represent EdLoC on two panels because EdLoC is that disruptor. We think bigger and deeper. We look beyond classroom walls. We apply a multi-sector, multi-racial lens. We connect dots that others do not.

Even at an event this large, EdLoC’s presence was powerful. Our community showed up to SXSW EDU, bringing our voices, our experiences, and our power to this table.

Being in this space of changemakers and collaborators was a reminder of the power of the collective: that we must all tackle the challenges facing our young people from multiple sides, wrapping our arms all the way around the next generation.

During one of my panels, I shared a lot about my leadership journey. I was asked why my demography had not equaled my destiny. The answer is simple and clear: it was the adults who loved me enough to stick with me through the hard years. Who encouraged me, created opportunities for me to express myself, and nurtured the budding activist within me.

I hope everyone who was at SXSW EDU knows the inspiring role we all play in shaping the next generation; it’s a power we should not take lightly.

One of my favorite parts of experiences like this is seeing EdLoC members in the crowd, observing the new connections form and existing ones deepen, and being able to come together as a community within this larger gathering. In spaces like this, EdLoC is the home that our members can come back to, offering support on the journey whether you’re showing up for your first or 10th SXSW EDU.

I’m energized by the lessons learned and bonds strengthened at SXSW EDU. This is how we build collective power—by showing up, finding our co-conspirators, standing in solidarity with one another, and pushing forward.

In Solidarity,

Sharhonda Bossier

CEO, Education Leaders of Color