The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness book lecture with Michelle Alexander, Esq., October 2012

Professor Michelle Alexander's lecture, co-sponsored by the Olivet Institutional Baptist Church and the CWRU Social Justice Institute, deals with how the mass incarceration, the War on Drugs, and legalized discrimination and scorn affect African-American men and some of the far-reaching consequences of this.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Part 4:

No Fear book lecture with Dr. Marsha Coleman-Adebayo, April 2012

This event showed the story of an inspirational whistleblower, Dr. Marsha Coleman-Adebayo, as she struggled to do the right thing in regards to her job at the EPA. This event was presented in collaboration with CWRU Office of Inclusion, Diversity, and Equal Opportunity, and included a discussion with the SJUS 100: Introduction to Social Justice class.

2011 Jean Donovan International Social Justice Conference

The Jean Donovan Social Justice Conference was inspired by the story of CWRU alumna Jean Donovan, one of four church women martyred in El Salvador in 1980. The conference highlighted the university's historic and contemporary commitment to international social justice. The conference, which was designed to inspire young people to careers and involvement in social justice, connected the life of Jean Donovan with the broader contexts of human rights, liberation theology, and historical memory.
Below is the insightful introduction by our own SJI Director, Dr. Rhonda Y. Williams.

Slideshow Recap of the Conference

Session I - God, Power, and Revolution: The Politics of Liberation Theology

Session II - Confronting History and State Violence, Then and Now

SJI Student Leadership Conference 2012 - Power Up! Slideshow (via Flickr)

The inaugural Social Justice Institute student leadership conference, held on April 21, 2012, was created with a specific goal. The purpose of this event is our continuing belief that the inter-generational exchange of ideas between youth, students, and active catlysts of social change is crucial for instilling a strong belief in social justice. A selection of images form this event can be found below.