What is language justice?

Language justice is the belief that every person has the fundamental right to communicate, understand and be understood in their preferred language. It’s the intentional use of interpretation and translation to empower all voices to participate in culture and politics in the language in which each person feels most comfortable. It’s the creation of inclusive multilingual spaces where every member is able to bring all of the parts of their identity.

This creation of spaces where everyone can speak and listen in their preferred language allows organizations fighting for liberation and equality to learn from the knowledge and experience of linguistically diverse communities, strengthening our grassroots organizations.

COMPA Philly Language Justice Cooperative works to ensure that language is source of connection and not a barrier, that all of the voices of our communities are heard, and that those voices are a force for systemic change.