“No Permission Needed: Joy as Rebellion, Love as Praxis” with Dragon Alumni Chandler Esslinger
Join us for an evening with Dragon alumni Chandler Esslinger on March 31 at 7 PM in CMU 105
“No Permission Needed: Joy as Rebellion, Love as Praxis”
Joy is not just a feeling—it is an act of defiance. In a world that has tried to erase, silence, and diminish us, choosing joy is a revolutionary act. It is proof that we exist, that we thrive, and that we refuse to be confined by systems never built for us. Love, too, is more than emotion, it is action. Praxis is the bridge between our ideals and the way we live them out; it is how we turn resistance into tangible change. When we love fiercely, we are not just surviving, we are reshaping the world in our image. We are the architects of our own liberation, and we need no permission to build something beautiful, boundless, and free.
Chandler will share experiences from her own life to contextualize the radical power of joy as resistance, the transformative nature of love in action, and the necessity of turning belief into praxis to create lasting change.
Chandler Esslinger (MSUM ’15) is a dedicated advocate for systemic change, specializing in anti-poverty initiatives and community-wide strategies to improve health and well-being. As a leader in the fight to end homelessness in the FM area, she works to align and strengthen local systems and government through evidence-based best practices, trauma-informed care, and a commitment to racial equity. Chandler lives in downtown Fargo with her spouse, Claire, and their two beloved chihuahuas, Minnow and Sage.