Pictured are Dr. Kimbrough and Justice Project members: (top) Thomas Shapiro, Oleta Garrett Fitzgerald, Joseph Jones '00, Diann Rust-Tierney, Dr. Sherece West, Dr. John Jackson; (bottom) Vernon Wall, April Y. Garrett, Marcia Dyson and Carlotta Walls Lanier. Not pictured are Dr. Ginny Blankenship, James L. "Skip" Rutherford and Jim Winkler.
Justice Project Advisory Board
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
Advisory Board Members
Dr. Ginny Blankenship
KIPP Delta Public Schools – Central AR Office
Dr. Marcia Dyson
Center for Social Justice Research, Teaching and Service
Georgetown University
Oleta Garrett Fitzgerald
Southern Regional Director
Children's Defense Fund
April Y. Garrett
Founder & President
Civic Frame
Dr. John Jackson
President and CEO
The Schott Foundation for Public Education
Dr. Joseph L. Jones ‘00
Assistant Professor, Political Science
Johnson C. Smith University
Carlotta Walls LaNier
President
Little Rock Nine Foundation
James L. “Skip” Rutherford
Dean
University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service
Dr. Thomas M. Shapiro
Director, Institute on Assets and Social Policy Pokross Professor of Law and Social Policy
The Heller School for Social Policy and Management
Brandeis University
Diann Y. Rust-Tierney
Executive Director
National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
Vernon A. Wall
Director of Educational Programs & Publications
American College Personnel Association
Dr. Sherece Y. West
President & CEO
Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation