The Social Justice Institute presents meaningful events where students, scholars and community members gather together to tap into our individual and collective psyches and souls, hearts and minds, knowledge and networks of support, and dare to draw forth the words, analyses, strategies and actions that respect and uplift human dignity and life. We are honored to provide distinctive educational opportunities – and we invite you to join us and become partners in our work.
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Ballots and Bullets: Black Power Politics and Urban Guerrilla Warfare in 1968 Cleveland
Author Talk with James Robenalt
Co-sponsored by the Kelvin Smith Library and the Department of Political Science
- Date and Time: Tuesday, January 22, 4-6:30 pm
- Location: Dampeer Room, Kelvin Smith Library*, 11055 Euclid Avenue
Local author, attorney and historian James Robenalt will discuss the roots of the violent uprisings in Cleveland in 1968 (Hough Riot, Glenville Shootout, etc.) and the political aftermath. Cleveland was a uniquely important city in the civil rights movement and hosted critical speeches by Rev. Martin Luther King, Malcolm X (whose Ballots or Bullets speech was first delivered here), and Senator Robert F. Kennedy, who spoke of the Mindless Menace of Violence at the City Club. Free and open to the community.
*Please note: all visitors to the Kelvin Smith Library must have a photo ID to be admitted.
THIRTY: Exploring Artistically the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Exhibit Opening and Reception
Co-sponsored by the Kelvin Smith Library
- Date and Time: Thursday, January 24, 4:30-6 pm
- Location: Kelvin Smith Library*, 11055 Euclid Avenue
The students of Facing History New Tech High School (a Cleveland public school) worked with artist Jason Labovitz to create this powerful collection of digital compositions exploring the thirty articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The compelling images and texts investigate the juxtaposition of human and educational rights with physical visual manifestations of those rights. Timothy Webster, associate professor of law, will share the history of the Declaration, followed by the artist and some of the student creators discussing the exhibit. A light reception will follow. Free and open to the community.
*Please note: all visitors to the Kelvin Smith Library must have a photo ID to be admitted.
Draw the Circle Wide: Celebrating Transgender and Gender Expansive Students in Music Learning Environments
Social Justice Research Lunch Series
- Date and Time: Tuesday, January 29, 11:30 am-12:45 pm
- Location: Crawford Hall, Room A13, 10900 Euclid Avenue
A critical conversation about creating equal access to ethically and pedagogically sound education for trans and gender expansive students with Matthew Garrett, associate professor of music. Bring a lunch; drinks and dessert provided.
Inspiring Change through Truth Telling - A Social Justice Teach-In
Co-sponsored by the Center for Civic Engagement and Learning and IRTF
- Date and Time: Saturday, February 9, 11:00 am-3:15 pm
- Location: Tinkham Veale University Center, 11038 Bellflower Road
Join hundreds of students and community members for a deep examination of justice work - local, national and international. Keynote speaker Anthony Grimes will discuss the importance of speaking truth to power authentically, while also engaging with and collaborating positively with individuals and groups who hold different political or social views. Following the inspiring keynote, participants will choose individual workshops on diverse topics to attend.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Focus on Africa
U.N. World Social Justice Day
Co-sponsored by the Inamori International Center for Ethics and Excellence and the Kelvin Smith Library
- Date and Time: Wednesday, February 20, 6:00-7:30 pm
- Location: Kelvin Smith Library*, 11055 Euclid Avenue
In conjunction with the powerful Thirty art exhibit, our annual event to commemorate the United Nations World Social Justice Day will feature a panel of speakers exploring how the Universal Declaration of Human Rights has impacted - and failed to impact - various issues and populations across the African continent. Civil rights attorney Jacqueline Greene (LAW '11) will provide a brief overview of the Declaration and Inamori Center executive director Shannon French will moderate. Featured panelists and topics include:
- George S. Kamanda, international human rights scholar and JD candidate, CWRU School of Law - women's economic rights in Sierra Leone
- Felix Kumah-Abiwu, assistant professor of Pan-African Studies, Kent State University - voting rights in Ghana
- Sara Thiam, visiting assistant professor, Anthropology, CWRU - children's rights in Senegal and Mali
A light reception will follow. Reservations requested to socialjustice@case.edu.
*Please note: all visitors to the Kelvin Smith Library must have a photo ID to be admitted.
The "Tiny Horrors" of Cultural Genocide: Indigenous Children in Residential and Boarding Schools, 1870-1970
Social Justice Research Lunch Series
- Date and Time: Tuesday, February 26, 11:30 am-12:45 pm
- Location: Crawford Hall, Room A13, 10900 Euclid Avenue
Susan Dominguez, SAGES teaching fellow, will discuss the century of North American federal policy that ripped children from families and inflicted tortuous cruelties for years at a time, creating conditions of PTSD and genetically embedded intergenerational trauma. Bring a lunch; drinks and dessert provided. RSVP to socialjustice@case.edu.
Company Town: A Documentary and Discussion about Environmental Justice, Race and Power
An Event of the 2019 Cleveland Humanities Festival
Co-sponsored by the Master of Public Health Program, Mary Ann Swetland Center for Environmental Health, and the Oberlin College and Conservatory Environmental Studies Program
- Date and Time: Monday, March 18, 6:30-8:30 pm
- Location: Ballroom B, Tinkham Veale University Center, 11038 Bellflower Road
What do you do when the company you work for and live near is making you sick? Company Town is a groundbreaking investigative documentary about environmental injustice, corporate accountability and community action in a rural Arkansas town. This chilling story reveals the egregious business practices of a company owned by the billionaire Koch brothers, government negligence and deregulation, and a devastating cancer cluster that galvanized a town to fight back. Janet Fiskio, associate professor of environmental studies at Oberlin College, will introduce the film and lead a discussion with Karen B. Mulloy of the Mary Ann Swetland Center for Environmental Health. Free and open to the community; light refreshments will be served. RSVP to socialjustice@case.edu.
Embedded Activism: Changing Foster Care from the Inside Out for LGBTQ2S Youth
Social Justice Research Lunch Series - Co-sponsored by QGrad
- Date and Time: Tuesday, March 26, 11:30 am-12:45 pm
- Location: Crawford Hall, Room A13, 10900 Euclid Avenue
Dana Prince (MSASS assistant professor) and Sonia Emerson (project coordinator of Affirm Me) lead a dialogue about opportunities, barriers and effective strategies for effecting social change for LGBTQ2S (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer/Questioning Two-Spirit) youth within the public child welfare system. Bring your lunch; drinks and dessert provided. RSVP to socialjustice@case.edu.
Mankiller: A Documentary and Discussion with Filmmaker Valerie Red-Horse Mohl
Co-sponsored with the Center for Civic Engagement and Learning, LGBT Center, Flora Stone Mather Center for Women, Ellipsis Institute for Women of Color in the Academy, Lake Erie Native American Council and YWCA Greater Cleveland
- Date and Time: Tuesday, March 26, 6-8:30 pm
- Location: Tinkham Veale University Center, 11038 Bellflower Rd.
Wilma Mankiller was an activist, feminist and Cherokee Chief, a woman who humbly defied the odds to fight injustice and give a voice to the voiceless. She overcame rampant sexism and personal challenges to emerge as the Cherokee Nation’s first female Principal Chief in 1985. Mankiller reminds audiences of the true meaning of servant leadership and serves as a wake up call to take action for positive change.
Director and producer Valerie Red-Horse Mohl (Cherokee) will speak following the screening, examining the legacy of Mankiller’s formidable life, discussing her work as the preeminent collaborator with American Indian tribal nations bringing Native stories to the screen, and contemplating the critical roles of women in leadership.
Free and open to the community; light refreshments will be served. Reservations requested.
I’m a pretty ordinary person given an opportunity to do extraordinary things in my life.
—Wilma Mankiller, Cherokee Chief, 1985-1995
Using Photovoice to Capture Diverse Experiences of Cleveland's Opioid Crisis
Social Justice Research Lunch Series
- Date and Time: Tuesday, April 16, 11:30 am-12:45 pm
- Location: Crawford Hall, Room A13, 10900 Euclid Avenue
SJI Research Fellows Lee Hoffer (associate professor, anthropology) and Allison Schlosser present findings from a visual participatory action research project that combines media studies, interviewing and photography to give voice to people who use opioids. Bring your lunch; drinks and dessert provided. RSVP to socialjustice@case.edu.
About Our Events
The majority of our events are free of charge and open to the community. We cannot do this important work without you – we hope that you will consider supporting us in these endeavors. Gifts of any size will impact our work and support our signature programs. Donations may be made online or sent to Social Justice Institute, 10900 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44106-7243.
To RSVP or volunteer for any upcoming event, please call 216.368.7568 or email socialjustice@case.edu.