When we at Philander Smith College launched our social justice initiative in August of 2007, part of the plan was to seek out people who could help us fully develop what has potential to be a very unique program in all of higher education.

But we started first with engaging in experiential activities. The biggest activity took place in September 2007, when 20 percent of the Philander Smith student body joined with thousands from across the nation to peacefully protest in support of the Jena 6, an experience remembered as much for the “teach-in” preparation prior to the trip as it was for the chance to be a part of modern history.

We have also been successful in weaving the social justice emphasis into our campus programming with special guest speakers and justice themes for Opening Convocation (Rev. Joseph Lowery, Rev. Eugene Rivers III, Father Michael Pfleger), chapel services devoted to justice issues, and Bless The Mic lecturers selected for their noteworthy activism.  

So, the next step was to form an advisory board for the College. Over the course of summer 2009 we began reaching out to people locally and across the country with an interest and capacity to assist with helping us to move forward. And so, with overwhelming response, the Social Justice Advisory Board was established with an impressive roster of activists, academics, social policy and foundation executives agreeing to serve along with us.

We were pleased to host the Advisory Board on campus in the fall of 2009 to have them assess our efforts and make recommendations for our initiatives. Their inaugural visit Oct. 20-21 was chock-full of useful and insightful input and information that will help us to take social justice at Philander Smith College to an entirely new level.

We look forward to a fruitful partnership with the Social Justice Advisory Board as they serve as a sounding board for our ideas and initiatives in the quest to fully thread social justice into the fabric of the Philander Smith College culture.

 
THINK JUSTICE

Walter M. Kimbrough, Ph.D.

President

The Justice Project