Southern Connecticut State University celebrated its dedication to progressive ideals Wednesday by exploring “next steps” in “our journey to social justice.”

According to the official university calendar, the event was designed to recognize “the many contributions that were made to bring social justice education and awareness to our campus.”

"That’s not our choice; raise up your voice; yell, scream, cry, and say, ‘It is okay to be lesbian.'"

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Headlining the event were performances by the winners of a recent “social justice talent show” that was hosted by the school earlier in November.

“There will be performances by winners of the social justice talent show, useful resources that can help you to continue your journey, and an inspiring example from Jesse Turner, who will tell his story of his walk to Washington,” the event description read.

The video highlights of the talent show published online on November 14 showed over a dozen different performances that included group dances, poetry readings and social justice themed songs.

One of the most notable appearances in the original talent show was a group performance by eight women who frantically shouted and waved their hands in the air between choreographed sections of a dance.

Another noteworthy performance included a woman reading a poem in support of the LGBT community.

“That’s not our choice; raise up your voice; yell, scream, cry, and say, ‘It is okay to be lesbian,” the participant recited, delivering her poem to an audience gathered in the school’s ballroom.

Although the event featured several dance shows, the majority of participants opted for musical numbers, performing their songs and compositions in a variety of different styles.

In one act, an African American performer performed a rap song while holding his handcuffed wrists above the microphone, standing a few feet in front of at least six hooded students who stared silently at the ground.

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The talent show kicked off a four-week “Social Justice Month” that is slated to conclude on December 8 with an “educator conference on undocumented youth” featuring workshops designed to train educators at all levels to promote “education equity.”

Southern Connecticut State University did not immediately respond to Campus Reform’s request for comment.

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