New York Times bestselling author, activist and artist Patrisse Cullors came to Vashon last week, undertaking a residency at Vashon Center for the Arts (VCA) that had several components and community initiatives, including a partnership with Vashon Island School District (VISD) that connected Cullors with Vashon High School (VHS) students and staff in a variety of conversations.

Cullors is the author of “When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir,” and “An Abolitionist’s Handbook: 12 Steps to Changing Yourself and the World.” She is one of the founders of the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation.

Cullors’ stated mission is “to invite all of us to grow towards abolition through intergenerational healing work that centers love and collective care.” Her vision is for “a world that honors our ability to transform through modes of care and not punishment.”

During her time on Vashon, Cullors created a new public art project for the VCA campus, which was unveiled on Friday, April 8. The neon artwork, installed in the Vashon Highway-facing breezeway of the arts center, reads, “Abolition is …,” inviting viewers to thoughtfully consider their own response to the concept of abolition.

Also that evening, Cullors joined in a conversation with Nikkita Oliver, a lawyer, non-profit administrator, educator, poet, and politician. Before a sold-out and warmly receptive house in VCA’s Kay White Hall, Cullors and Oliver talked about the ideas expressed in Cullors’ book, “An Abolitionist’s Handbook.”

Before Oliver and Cullors took the stage, they were introduced by Vashon High School junior Malea Dickerson, who is a spoken word poet and member of the school’s Racial Equity Pact. Dickerson first read a powerful spoken word poem, “All Eyes on Me,” which set the tone for the talk.

Oliver, in opening the conversation, greeted the audience and said she hoped that everyone present had “come into this space to protect Black women.” They acknowledged those in the audience who had applauded and cheered in response to that statement, saying they would take the response as “an agreement of our community values.”

The talk between Cullors and Oliver was far-ranging, illuminating Cullors’ reflections on relational aspects within the movement to build transformative and restorative justice and healing in America, and the importance of having “courageous conversations” that allow and encourage people in conflict to move from reactive conflict to responsive resolution.

Cullors also reflected on persistent and well-funded attacks that had been made on the Black Lives Matter movement and her personally, saying that she had come to better understand, after a conversation with revered activist and author Angela Davis, that those attacks “weren’t about me.”

After the talk, Cullors invited the attendees to join her in the breezeway, where the installation was lit.

On Monday, April 8, students in grades 9 to 12, along with staff, were invited to view the HBO Max film “Eyes on the Prize: Hallowed Ground,” of which Cullors was an executive producer. The documentary film honors Henry Hampton’s landmark PBS series “Eyes on the Prize,” which detailed the history of the civil rights movement in America.

The following day, Cullors spent time with both middle and high school students in smaller group settings. She met with VHS advocacy clubs Racial Equity Pact, Disability Advocacy Group, and the Queer Student Alliance, for a casual conversation on her experiences in life, participating in community work, and many other topics.

“She was very wise, down to earth, and super empathetic,” says Racial Equity Pact member and senior Ava Woo. “She has done a lot of work on a bigger scale, but she always brought it back to community. That was very important to hear. We are just one small community, but if every community comes together, a bigger change can be made.”

Many of the students comprising the advocacy groups appreciated the chance for a more intimate and personal conversation with Cullors, who later in the week met with a larger student audience during an optional assembly in the theater.

“We got to hear and listen to her in more personal ways we wouldn’t be able to in a larger gathering,” said Racial Equity Pact member and senior Qwynn McBrady. “However, I think it is also important to have a bigger assembly because that creates the space for her voice and for other people to join in the conversation.”

Cullors’ presence at VHS was made possible by a donation from the Vashon Schools Foundation and the partnership with VCA.

“The opportunity for our student leaders to learn from Patrisse Cullors has been exceptional and is also directly connected to our strategic plan and Vashon Promise — ‘Every student is welcomed, known, and treasured and graduates confident and competent to thrive in a world they imagine,”” said VISD superintendent Slade McSheehy.

To see a recording of Patrice Cullors’ talk at Vashon Center for the Arts, visit tinyurl.com/mwbkdmpy.

— Peter Woodbrook, communications coordinator for VISD, contributed reporting to this story about Cullors’ activities at Vashon High School.