The Social Justice Scholars is a program that focuses on student-led programming for the entire IU Indianapolis campus and is designed to provide passionate students with opportunities to develop programs based on their interests. Students are selected by their commitment to social justice and interest in providing a welcoming place for all students at IU Indianapolis .
Mission
The mission of the Social Justice Scholars programming on campus is to provide peer to peer educational programs for the IU Indianapolis campus community that raise awareness and promote inclusivity and understanding of one’s self and others. In this we hope to create a positive, supportive and welcoming community for all.
The mission for the Social Justice Scholars is to provide students with the awareness, knowledge and skills to develop their leadership identity through a social justice framework in order to empower students to create inclusive solutions to address social inequities.
Objectives
- Examine one’s identities and biases in relation to privilege and oppression in society.
- Engage different perspectives and identities while challenging the dominant narrative to navigate difficult conversations.
- Manage and utilize emotions that arise from issues of injustice on a personal and global scale to foster advocacy and positive social change.
- Develop relationships with justice oriented community organizations and people
- Apply key Social Justice concepts to activist projects, academic coursework and one’s life
The Social Justice Scholars program operates under a two-year program model. Scholars participate in weekly meetings that develop their understanding of social justice, their facilitation style, research abilities and how to use social justice in their chosen field. For more information contact sojoedu@iu.edu.
The Social Justice Scholars (SJS) program is broken down into six major programming areas, each of which is described below. Each program is operated by two to three students who plan, implement, and evaluate programs each month. The Scholars and their programs provide different levels of engagement through a variety of platforms.
The 2022-2023 Social Justice Scholars are:
Salma Abdi
Mo Adekanye
Tyler Allison
Christian Brock
Saloni Dixon
Alston Dsouza
Keion Taylor
Yoselin Fonseca
Camille Hedd
Medha Kulkarni
Anna Morgan
Kaneise Mitchell-Casey
Hamdi Rashid
Melanie Reyes
Tapiwa Mzumara
Rashi Tyagi
Makaela Watkins
Ryan Wiley
Jannae Watkins (Lead Scholar)
Social Justice Scholars seeks new members on an annual basis. New scholar applications are currently be accepted and will continue through March 21, 2023. Use the link or QR Code below to apply.
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Democracy Plaza is a series of physical spaces located under the SPEA/Business breezeway and the Campus Center. Scholars maintain these boards and put up weekly questions to engage the IU Indianapolis community in current issues. The mission of Democracy Plaza is to support the development of well-informed and engaged students through critical thinking and civil discourse on political, cultural, and societal issues through a social justice lens.
If you wish to submit questions for Democracy Plaza, please click here.
If you wish to reserve the physical space of Democracy Plaza, click here.
To access the Democracy Plaza One Pager, click here.
Pass the Mic is a series of open forum discussions on topics that encompass current social justice issues. This program allows students the chance to voice their opinions on various issues and also creates an environment where opposing views can be discussed in a civil manner. The facilitators present the participants with unbiased facts about a given topic and then promote open-floor discussion on the topic by passing the mic to engaged participants.
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Speak OUT Cafe facilitates social consciousness and storytelling through spoken word, poetry, and performing art. Speak OUT Café brings socially conscious artists together with members of the IU Indianapolis and Indianapolis community to understand differing identities and ideologies. All forms of social justice art are welcome.
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Real Talk facilitates and creates small, intimate, and developmental conversations about identity while encouraging participants to question preconceived notions. It is a space where the entire IU Indianapolis community can engage in vulnerability and growth regarding issues of power, oppression, and privilege. The talk is open to everyone, and all students, staff, and faculty are welcome to attend.
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Hash It Out is a biweekly student-led podcast that brings people from opposing views together to discuss current social issues. To listen to the podcast click here:
To submit a collaboration request form with the Social Justice Scholars, Click Here.