Testimonials
“You have amazing presence. That is both a personality trait and a skill set. You easily command a space in a way that makes one feel like they have been welcomed into your home and heart. That is part of you. AND, you have the skills to know how to use that presence in ways that disarm folks’ defenses and give you access to their minds and hearts. Brilliant.
You told folks at the outset that you were going to break their expectations for a keynote. And then you did. And did it well. Letting folks know that you will be different, and then ACTUALLY being different, builds trust and admiration with a group. So well done.
You gave us a problem to solve (rearranging the room into a socially just space) without over-explaining or giving us a solution. Excellent way to engage deep thinking about your topic quickly. Interactive. Physically engaging. And then by not giving us a “right” answer, allowed the individual learning to grow within the group as we watched the process unfold and listened to each others’ experiences of the activity. Brilliant.
Finally, the way that you handled Q&A was flawless. You answered honestly. You validated each question, even if they were tangential or off topic. You spoke truth to folks in a way that wasn’t harsh or judgmental, but that gave them perspective that they might not have anticipated. And each person felt heard and appreciated.
People talk about the labor of Black Femmes in this world. I see your labor. I am so very grateful for it. I will continue to support you in whatever ways I can.
And I learned something valuable from you and your work that day. I learned that it is not enough for me, as a cis, white man to leave my space to make room for others. I need to invite other voices into that space. I need to encourage and support that voice (without condition of its content). I am still figuring out what that looks like. But I am committed to that process.
So… for what it is worth, I thank you for your work. I honor the labor. And I promise to do my part, every day, to use what you have offered to create change.”
Dr. Don Dyson, PhD, MSS
“The webinar was really insightful. I have given gender 101 trainings myself as a public educator and I still gleaned so much from your thoughtful and intentionally structured workshop. All that to say, no matter where someone is in their understanding of gender, there is much to gain from your workshop — at all levels!
The most impactful portion for me was when you unpacked the connection of colonization and the gender binary and how that translates today with high rates of maternal mortality for Black folx. I believe you said. “If you don’t have autonomy over your body, at what point can you assert your gender?” and that “Colonized gender is only working for the benefit of white people.”
Folx talk about the gender binary so much without an in-depth discussion about its origins and the context of it as it relates to Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and non-Black POC. And in my estimation, reinforced by your very clearly laid out examination, there is no dismantling the gender binary without discussing colonization and the effects of it still felt today!
There is so much more that I can mention about why your webinar was so excellent and essential, but I will leave it at that for now. Please know that your work is so appreciated and needed. And as a Latinx, gender non-conforming person myself, thank you for taking on the work of breaking the binary! Participating in your webinar was equal parts informative and healing.
Carla P
“Sex Ed as Resistance changed my life. Ericka Hart is one of the most incredible teachers I’ve ever had the privilege of learning from, and has created a thoughtfully accessible education model that actually works. Ericka successfully carves out space and time to work through incredibly heavy subject matter, allowing her students time to process and ask questions, while simultaneously invoking honest, sometimes challenging group discussion.
She breaks complicated topics down with ease, while also continuing to holistically point out connections, drawing our attention to the bigger picture of sexual health and its historical, political, and societal implications. The students in the first SEAR cohort are also spectacular. There is an outpouring of support, curiosity, and honesty among classmates, and the presence of mind that each individual brings to class is what helps an already-captivating curriculum really come to life.
Additionally, the guest lecturers Ericka brings into this class — as well as Ericka herself — are illustrious and revolutionary. The topics Ericka covers should be mandatory learning for all educators, ESPECIALLY white educators in the health space. I’m incredibly grateful to have had the chance to learn in this class. This program has directly informed my own praxis as a burgeoning sex educator, and I hope for nothing but continued success for Ericka and family, all guest speakers, students, and this program as a whole.”
Rebecca Potters
“When I signed up for Sex Ed as Resistance, I was sure that I was ready. Since 2017 my personal and professional work as a community educator and pre-licensed therapist involved reading, listening to, questioning, and applying sexual health education materials received from numerous educators and higher academic institutions. Understanding mainstream sex education has deep roots in white supremacy while overtly pushing anti-black racism, patriarchal ideals, ableism and racialized capitalism in its approach; I always felt swallowed whole by the stress of fumbling my way to answering the question “where can I find a foundational course to kick-start the redirection of the work I am longing to do with folks that centers honesty and the truth of sexual health education while challenging westernized academia?” The next week Ericka’s class was announced and I knew it was where I wanted to be, despite my severe anxiety and imposter syndrome telling me to steer clear. Submitting an application to Sex Ed as Resistance is just another monumental landmark in a self-initiated, non-linear journey to address bodily shame while challenging norms in both white and queer-and-non-queer communities to dismantle harmful systemic narratives.
The educational space Ericka Hart meticulously created presented me with an entirely new learning experience. This educational experience served as a profound journey of inner exploration. Layers I wasn’t aware existed were peeled back through this process. Their mentorship pushed me to examine how my racial identity influenced my perceptions of sexual intimacy and power dynamics through a historically accurate cultural lens and abolitionist principles. The course encouraged me to recognize how racial capitalism had become deeply embedded in my fundamental beliefs about love and relationships while also infiltrating my prior education before starting this 8-week program. I realized I had unknowingly placed whiteness at the core of my thoughts even within what I believed to be progressive thinking.
Hart provides an uncommon energetic teaching style which combines radical honesty with deep care for students and material while honoring living and remembered ancestors who established the foundation of sexual health education. They maintain a balanced approach which neither involves coddling students nor leaving them unsupported while tackling emotionally intensive work. They maintain an environment for discomfort which serves as a learning tool to promote accountability while fostering growth. The class uses discomfort as an opportunity for students to explore deeper aspects of learning. The course design encourages reflection and discussion to drive critical engagement and demonstrates that the goal is not passive learning but transformation.
The most impactful element of Sex Ed as Resistance lies in Hart’s dedication to elevating the lived experiences of the cohort which focuses mainly on the feelings and experiences of Black, Brown, Indigenous and Non-Black People of Color. Their teaching methodology extends beyond lectures and includes attentive listening while encouraging active learning through laughter, reflection and accountability. The curriculum actively integrates students’ experiences to demonstrate how personal narratives and systemic analysis operate as interconnected elements in real-time learning. The dynamic teaching method transformed each session into a thriving center of learning that developed along with its participants.
The most impactful change I experienced involved new ways of understanding and dealing with shame. The power of white supremacy relies heavily on generating shame related to our physical selves, our enjoyment, our historical context and our involvement with systems of organized power. Hart uses shame as a starting point rather than an end. Through their gentle guidance we were shown to view shame as a gateway which opens paths toward thorough reckoning and liberation through repair. Ericka builds community within our large online group while promoting playfulness as a liberation tool and maintaining laughter alongside fostering sincerity and compassion with everyone.
The initial person who created Sex Ed as Resistance has evolved into a different individual; I find myself fumbling forward with more confidence and clarity. And that’s the point. This course aims to challenge white individuals dedicated to eliminating racial oppression in both theoretical and deeply personal ways to break them apart and lead them toward self-transcendence. It is not easy. It is not meant to be. But it is necessary.
I recommend anyone to take this class. The class will breathe new life into your passion for sexual health education while teaching you about passion and pleasure through play and critical engagement with consent and bodily autonomy as well as the historical context that defines this country beyond what higher education and personal study can achieve. Ericka’s work demonstrates her deep commitment to her students by delivering sex ed education which affirms their right to live with dignity. We learn how to conduct this course through Ericka’s step-by-step lessons.”
CP
“Words couldn’t possibly do justice to describe what I learned and experienced in Ericka Harts’s “Sex Education as Resistance” course, however for the purpose of encouraging others to pursue it, I will do my best! This course truly, embodies into action the values and discourse Ericka advocates for in the public eye. So often social justice advocacy is expressed in performative ways for the sake of clout and social media presence. In contrast, this class was a beautiful example of “walking the walk” on every level. Ericka curated a space of safety and absolute inclusivity for all people with genuine interest and intention to learn and to effect progress within community. The curriculum was dense, stimulating and highly intellectual while still addressing the elitism and pretension that Is often present in academia. I particularly appreciated the encouragement of critical thinking, respectful debate and challenging, complex ideas and systems of oppression with nuance, levity and humor.
The diversity of students and guest speakers allowed for such depth and varying perspectives to discuss. I am filled with love, creativity, gratitude and renewed energy that I carry into my local community with joy and excitement! Often, the strength of human connection is undervalued in our propaganda lead, divisive, capitalist and individualistic society, however, learning spaces such as this one reminds us how powerful humanity can be when we come together and just how accessible and possible it is to effect change in simple and actionable ways.
I am extremely appreciative and grateful for this experience for so many reasons. Educators such as Ericka have such an empowering and beautiful impact on individuals which in turn has ripple effects within many communities! Thank you for the work you continue to do and the honest, funny, intelligent, voice you share with us!
Mahalo Nui Loa!
Nalu C.
“This class reminded me what I already knew to be true and what has called me for years now, even if I got a little distracted along the way. Seeing the participants, the speakers, the discussions reminded me of the depth of this work, of the way a simple question about sex can lead to someone realizing something about themselves or how the systems try to control us. It is all connected and can’t even be separated, there is still so much to say and talk about.
Seeing the speakers just reminded me of all the people doing this work and the amazing people that can be learned from. And how so many of us are called to the same thing. We are (I am) not alone. Each person in class, when they shared, just reminded me of the hundreds of other people who share their similar path and need the work you are doing.
It was truly, deeply an honor to see you create a space without the limitations of an institution, you are truly reimagining what these spaces for sex ed, for social justice, for liberation look like. To be a student of yours is a blessing I will always hold dear and I hope to one day be able to call myself your peer in the future. I will hold the space that was created close to my heart as I move forward, constantly reminding myself of community, moments of liberation and truth can be achieved wherever I am because I embody the lessons of sex ed as resistance.”
Nadia V.
