Social Justice Educator

Adams (2000) define social justice as both a process and a goal: "the goal of social justice education is full and equal participation of all groups in a society that is mutually shaped to meet their needs. Social justice includes a vision of society that is equitable and all members are physically and psychologically safe and secure" (p. 2). My student affairs journey is inextricably linked to how I have understood and claimed my identities in relation to difference. More specifically, my coming into critical consciousness as a queer-identified individual during my time at Seattle University helped provide the pathway for how I began to understand the frameworks of oppression that are embedded in society.

Being a social justice educator carries several meanings for me. As an educator invested in social change, I must be actively involved in the reflective process of how my dominant and subdominant identities intersect and affect my view of the world, my interpersonal relationships and my navigation within larger systems. This process is continuous, as my identities shift and change over time, and it reflects the liminality and cognitive dissonance that is embedded in what it means to be a white, queer, able-bodied, educated individual from a rural, working class background. I must also invest time and energy in working towards the vision of social justice through a variety of actions and involvement. This link between critical awareness, reflection and engagement reflect Paulo Freire’s notion of praxis (1970). Lastly, it is necessary for me to engage in this work with deep love. There are limits to the ways that language and action can help change the world; I must also work towards developing empathy for the struggles of others and holding that compassion in spaces where I serve as an educator. Below are some examples of the various social justice workshops, retreats and conferences I have been a part of.

Social Justice Workshops & Trainings