Stephanie Vibbert

On Sunday January 19th 2003, Stephanie Vibbert, a member of the Kensington Welfare Rights Union and student at Kalamazoo College, was killed in a car accident returning from the anti-war march in Washington, DC.

Stephanie was a beloved member of the organization, she will be missed by everyone. Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Stephanie.

Stephanie Vibbert came to the Kensington Welfare Rights Union from Kalamazoo, Michigan. Following many students that had come before her from Kalamazoo College, she was drawn to our organization even before she started working here. She was an intern bursting with energy, interest, and an eagerness to learn the truth.

With a deep respect of human dignity she became a member of the Kensington Welfare Rights Union and worked to bring in others also. She took her work very seriously, from collecting space heaters to researching affordable housing. She understood the importance of her work and the impact her work made on those around her. While living in Philadelphia she took time to examine the problems of poverty and injustice and often used her knowledge and experiences to enter into dialogues with others.

Upon returning to her campus, Stephanie started the real work. Upon her return to campus her first email back contained this line: I am back at K-Zoo and I have hooked up with a lot of people who are ready to do whatever is needed to build this movement!!”

And continuing to build the Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign is exactly what she did. With phone calls, emails, teach-ins, and cross country trips Stephanie kept on organizing and her work will be remembered by many.

Stephanie saw the violence in the world that surrounds us and dedicated her life to ending it. Her death is a loss of another freedom fighter and is felt by us all.

Read more about student involvement in the Kensington Welfare Rights Union