Social Justice Scholars

In Fall 2026, selected participants will be responsible for completing assigned readings and participating in each of the five sessions throughout the semester. In consideration of full participation, each Social Justice Scholar will receive a $250 award. Social Justice Scholars agree to be responsible for reading all of the assigned materials, and must attend ALL five discussion sessions. Fall participants can apply to continue as a Social Justice Scholar during the Spring semester (with an additional stipend). Our work in the Spring will build upon learning completed during the Fall semester.

There are a host of present-day societal inequities that deserve our attention and action. In devising a plan of action, it can be difficult to know where to begin. Generally, we know that coalition building and communal care are essential components of liberation. However, how to go about actualizing the work often remains elusive. This cohort of Social Justice Scholars is designed for selected scholars to examine historical liberatory efforts and then begin to explore how they may be relevant to present-day actions. Scholars sessions are led by Professor Ayesha Bell Hardaway. This academic year, SJ Scholars will be diving into Robin D. G. Kelley's Freedom Dreams: The Black Radical Imagination, Johanna Fernández's The Young Lords A Radical History, and excerpts from CWRU's own Don Freeman's Reflections of a Resolute Radical. 

The five sessions will be held during the Community Hour (12:30pm to 2:00pm) on select Fridays during the semester. Dates TBD.