Seeking Justice at WU

The latest happenings in my attempts to lead a socially justice life and increase awareness/inclusivity/justice at the university:

seekingjusticeatwu.wordpress.com

We've been organizing for instutional change over the past two years and have reached a sort of "institutional roadblock." We have support all over campus for our initiatives, there are conversations happening in classrooms, in forums organized by various student groups, and we've met with every beaurocratic body on the campus to gather input and continue to advocate for our issues. NOW, we realize that regardless of the amount of research, the number of letters of support, the formal resolutions passed, and the 'yes'es we receive from administration, our proposed Center for Social Justice and Diversity and all that our proposal entails will not happen unless we have an upper-level adminstrator whose priority is social justice. The conversations where actual long-term, budget, master plan and construction decisions are made happen behind closed doors and during the summer. Without someone in the room that has a grasp on the importance of increasing diversity, having systems of accountability, and the skills and knowledge necessary to facilitate that kind of social change, we and other community members will continue to be sent on this proverbial wild goose chase, ending in a meeting with the president when he says "You're in the basket with all of the other proposals to be considered this summer, but my favorites are X, Y, and Z."

So, we're gettin' organized and demanding a Dean of Social Justice and Diversity to implement the initial stages of the Center and to institutionalize and support the movement. Information about the demonstrations this weekend, the press release issued on Wednesday, and more about our efforts thus far are on our website: seekingjusticeatwu.wordpress.com

Pictures and updates to come soon! Get excited for Willamette!