Handful of Salt
Volume XLVIII, Number 4 – Winter 2024
Included in this issue:
Meet our newest team member, Shantell!
International conflict and our shared humanity
Empowering young activists in Spokane
Reflections on this Moment: Election 2024
Quick Links
We’d love to hear from you!
At the Peace & Justice Action League of Spokane, we engage everyday people to build a just and nonviolent world. Every 2 years, we send out a survey to members like you to help us set our organizational priorities for the upcoming year. Will you take few minutes to share your thoughts?
YALP Spring 2025
Join us for our next cycle of our Young Activist Leadership Program, starting on February 7, 2025! This paid internship allows young people between 15 – 22 across Spokane County to learn about and take action on the issues they care about. Learn more at pjals.org/action or sign up today!
Double your gift until Dec 31st!
Gifts from members like you mean we’ll go together into the new year with the fuel for long-term work! Thanks to generous and committed PJALS members, staff, and Steering Committee all gifts by December 31 will be matched up to $10,190!
Join the band!
Come Honk for a better world
The Mighty PJAMRS (Peace and Justice Action League Musical Rascals of Spokane) community marching band is seeking new members! Open to all musical levels with an emphasis on fun! Current members include people who used to play in school, adult beginners, and professionals.We play at marches, rallies, and other community events. We also seek auxillary members such as flag bearers, baton twirlers, etc. Check out PJAMRS here or on Facebook
If interested, please contact Greg at [email protected]
Meet our newest team member, Shantell!
We are so excited to welcome Shantell Jackson to our PJALS staff team as our new Community Organizer! Shantell joined our team in September and brings years of experience in advocacy, organizing, and leadership development. Her advocacy efforts have focused on systemic change that uplifts historically marginalized communities.
Her role as an Activist in Residence at Eastern Washington University in 2022 was focused on amplifying the voices of those often left unheard. In her higher education roles, Shantell focused on academic and multicultural programming and created programs to help students understand themselves and others.
Shantell’s installations and performance art pieces explore the human condition both contemporarily and historically. Shantell is the artist of the beautiful letter K on the Black Lives Matter mural in downtown Spokane. In this work she was inspired by traditional West African colors and took inspiration from West African Textiles for the patterns. Her piece pays homage to her roots and celebrates Blackness.
All of her work, in the community and as a visual artist and writer, aims to create dialogues across differences to build bridges and forge acceptance and healing.
A message from Shantell:
My name is Shantell Jackson, and I am thrilled to step into the role of Community Organizer for PJALS! I’m looking forward to this exciting journey and to contributing to the important work we do together.
A bit about me: I’m originally from Buffalo, New York, and this November marks 20 years since I made Eastern Washington my home. Professionally, I bring over 20 years of experience, including 17 years in higher education and 3 years in arts administration. I’m also a multimedia visual artist, poet, and educator, with a deep passion for fostering creativity, dialogue, and healing.
I’m eager to build on the incredible foundation of PJALS, working with all of you to create new opportunities for education, engagement, and community healing. Looking forward to connecting!
International conflict and our shared humanity!
written by Shantell Jackson
The ongoing conflict between Palestinians and Israelis reflects a long-standing history of colonization, genocide, war, displacement, and struggles over land. This is not a new issue. However, the events of October 7, 2023, served as a stark awakening for many, reminding us that understanding the present requires acknowledging the past.
In the years and decades ahead, this conflict will undoubtedly shape narratives and reflections about our shared humanity.
We must acknowledge the past in order to understand our present and create better futures.
Shantell Jackson
History has shown us the dangers of dividing people into “good” and “evil” in the pursuit of land and power. For much of my life, Palestinians were portrayed as violent aggressors, while Israelis were seen as perpetual victims. As I’ve grown older and gained a broader perspective, I see the deep unfairness in these simplified narratives. They echo the patterns of colonialism and genocide that have justified immense suffering throughout history.
We are at a critical turning point. It is imperative to confront historical truths, challenge false narratives, and advocate for justice. Recognizing the humanity and dignity of all people is no longer optional—it is essential. The question now is: what side of history will we choose to stand on?
The erasure of entire peoples and their histories has gone on far too long. The suffering we see today demands action—not as individuals seeking comfort, but as a collective fighting for a world where no people live in fear of extinction.
Empowering Young Activists in Spokane!
written by Bex Lyonne
Equipping young leaders with the tools, resources, and opportunities to develop their political and social analyses and leadership skills has been a long-time priority for us at PJALS. One key way in which we take action on this priority is by continuing to grow, expand, and evolve our seasonal Young Activist Leaders Program (commonly referred to as YALP). This past fall, we had a record number of registrants for this free, community-based education for action program!
From mid-September to mid-November, our Youth Organizers, Nico Jaggar and Foster Transue, led 23 aspiring young leaders across Spokane County through 9 weeks of activist education, relationship-building, and voter outreach.
We started this fall cohort with an introduction to PJALS and grassroots mobilization followed by a team-based art exercise in which we created our own flags based on our shared values and shared vision for a better future. The following two sessions, we heard from two guest speakers. First, Vicky Dalton, Auditor with the Spokane County Elections Office, spoke with us about the election administration process.
First, Vicky Dalton, Auditor with the Spokane County Elections Office, spoke with us about the election administration process. Then, Calvin Jones, Outreach Director with Defend Washington, was kind enough to take time out of the busy campaign season to give us an in-depth overview of the four state-wide initiatives we saw on our ballots in November.
I’ve had the opportunity to do voter outreach through YALP two times and I can easily say it’s one of the most interesting things I’ve ever done in life so far. This session had its ups and downs but ultimately getting to see other’s perspectives felt really valuable to me and I’m very excited to continue working with YALP!
Foster Transue
Having the chance to work with youth through voter outreach has solidified my sense of community and hope for our future generations. Each individual we worked with was talented, clever, and most importantly, passionate. This group did some amazing work this fall and I have no doubt they’ll continue on to change the world!
Nicolai Jaggar
For the remainder of the fall session, our youth interns put their new knowledge into action as they contacted voters through phone- and text banks. With a focus on mobilizing other young voters, these inspiring leaders made 55,070 voter contacts in just 4 weeks! WOW!
We closed out our fall cohort by modeling how we can care for ourselves and each other in times of disappointment, fear, and uncertainty, and by also celebrating all that we accomplished together. All participants who attended 5 or more of the 9 sessions, received a $275 stipend as a thank you for their time, commitment, and investment in the program.
Reflections on this moment: 2024 Election
written by Liz Moore
On Election Night, I went to bed not knowing the results, intentionally giving myself that time. Early in the morning I woke up, picked up my phone, and saw a text message from my best friend with an emoji of a broken heart, and I knew. As I took in the news of the Presidential election results, I felt myself in horror, grief, alarm, dread, and fear. As I read messages from friends and talked with my sons, I noticed that my body was reacting to 2016’s election results and now as if they were simultaneous and the same. Two sets of election results was too much to feel! In the days that followed, I wanted to try to “be with what is,” to honor my 2016 feelings that were still in my system as well as my reactions to this current moment. I wanted to distinguish between the two with accuracy to support my desire and ability to face and enter this real moment effectively. I began writing this for greater clarity and I hope you find it useful as well… read full article here
Help us continue to create space for connection
written by Shantell Jackson
The Connections Committee is a member-led committee that is supported by PJALS staff. The Committee organizes community gatherings intended to sustain relationship building and steadiness within our community through the election season and beyond inauguration.
I joined the connections team this fall. I saw the email and decided that I wanted to be more engaged and this fit my life situation. It has been a great experience. I have been able to get to know some people better and feel like as a team we got a lot accomplished in a very difficult time. I really appreciate being a part of the team.
Barb Stuebing (she/her/hers)
Are you interested in joining the Connections Committee this spring? Email Shantell Jackson at [email protected] to get started!