Become a changemaker: A guide to your social justice education

Amid the fiery fight for civil rights in the 1960s, social justice advocates created a trailblazing social justice education model: the Freedom Schools. Based mainly in the South and often secret, the over 40 Freedom Schools were designed to give Black children and adults a free education rooted in social justice, critical thinking and self-empowerment to counter the segregated school system that denied them an equal education.

Today, social justice issues are more pressing than ever, and like the Freedom Schools, social justice advocates need to take charge of their own social justice education. This guide will help you become informed, have meaningful conversations, and participate in social justice issues.

What is social justice?

At its core, social justice means ensuring that all people have equal rights and protections. The Encyclopedia Britannica defines it as “the fair treatment and equitable status of all individuals and social groups within a state or society.” But our present systems aren’t built to support equality and social justice, so it’s up to us to work towards that goal. In our current political and economic climate, the most pressing social justice issues include everything from women’s rights, racism, climate change, and education. Here are some of the most urgent social justice issues we face today.

Systemic racism

While more people have become aware of systemic racism after the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020, its pernicious effects are still deeply embedded in our society. From police brutality and racism in the criminal justice system, to unequal access to employment or barriers to homeownership and other wealth-building opportunities, racism is present in nearly every aspect of today’s society.

The gender gap

Another example is the gender gap, otherwise known as gender inequality. In every country of the world, women have fewer educational opportunities, are paid less than men for doing similar work, have fewer legal protections, and are less safe than men. This manifests as less opportunity for women everywhere.

Climate change

Climate change is another social justice issue that manifests itself in many ways. From vulnerable populations bearing the brunt of sea level rise to greater mortality from floods and storms in impoverished areas, climate equity is an ongoing battle. The environmental justice takeaway is clear: the burden of climate change falls disproportionally on low-resource countries and communities of color.

Educational systems

While, in theory, all children should have equal access to a good education, in reality our current system does not treat all students equitably. Educational equity is a global issue. Marginalized students often receive an inferior education, less access to resources like college counselors, and fewer opportunities for advanced coursework and other critical college preparedness building blocks.

Why is social justice education important?

Social justice education lays the groundwork for impactful activism by helping us recognize the often-hidden aspects of inequity and oppression. This understanding is crucial for addressing community problems, correcting injustices, and promoting equality. By developing empathy and gaining the necessary context through this knowledge, we can help prevent further harm from oppressive systems and work toward meaningful solutions.

How to educate yourself to promote social justice

Here are some valuable ways to educate yourself about pressing social justice issues to fight for important causes and become a social justice advocate and leader.

Stay up to date on the news

Keeping up with current news is a critical part of social justice education and a key step toward understanding current social challenges, and the policies and people causing them. Set up alerts for news stories on the social justice issues you care about most to stay current on those topics. But be aware: inaccurate and biased news is rampant, so use reputable, credible, and honest news sources. Outlets that regularly cover social justice issues, like PBS News, AP News, and National Public Radio (NPR), are good places to start.

Follow social justice sources online

There’s a strong online social justice community that will help fast-track your education. From prominent social justice leaders and organizations, to podcasts and news outlets highlighting social justice issues, the online education resources are endless. 

Get engaged: follow top social justice organizations and influential social justice leaders on social media, listen to social justice podcasts that will broaden your horizons, and add social justice-oriented news outlets to your newsfeed.

Take a class

Taking classes in your own time or even pursuing a degree can give you a transformative education in social justice. Many universities and organizations offer free or low-cost educational options on social justice topics. Take an online class to advance your social justice education — there are many options available. Or, take the next step and get a degree that will give you the tools to become a social justice advocate or even start teaching social justice classes yourself.

Read books beyond what education system assigns

Reading is one of the best ways to expand your social justice knowledge. Create your own curriculum with some of the many books that explore important concepts, specialized areas of social justice, and specific communities in-depth. 

Then, you can open up the conversation, share knowledge with others, exchange ideas, and encourage others to deepen their education with a book club. Here are some suggestions to get you started:

• A People’s History of the United States provides a deep look at the historical forces that shape the social justice issues of our time.
• On Being Different, by Merle Miller, was originally published in 1971. Recently reissued, it’s a foundational resource on the history of discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community.
• Invisible Women provides a deep dive into gender inequity and how it manifests in every aspect of our lives.
• Between the World and Me focuses on race in America, and was a National Book Award winner.
• A Guide to Gender: The Social Justice Advocate’s Handbook is now part of many gender studies curriculums.
• The New Jim Crow looks at the failed war on drugs through the lens of racial inequity.

Watch documentaries and educational films

Documentaries and films offer deep and fascinating insights into critical social justice issues and the systemic oppression behind them. Curating your own social justice education with documentaries can accelerate your learning. Here are some must-watch options to get you started:

• I Am Not Your Negro, narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, uses archival footage to provide a searing look into the struggles opposing systemic racism during the 1960s civil rights movement.
• In a modern-day look at the same issue, 13^th, an award-winning documentary by director Ava DuVernay, takes a deep dive into the prison system and how it perpetuates our nation’s history of slavery.
• The immersive Oscar-nominated PBS documentary 9to5: The Story of a Movement tells the story of the origins of the women’s rights movement.
• She Said is a feature film based on a true story providing a deep look into sexual harassment and assault in Hollywood, including the Harvey Weinstein scandal that ignited the #MeToo movement.
• Immigration Nation is a hard-hitting docuseries tracking the rise of aggressive immigration enforcement and the often brutal tactics used by the U.S. government.
• In Cooked: Survival by Zip Code, documentarian Judith Helfand exposes the social justice impacts of climate change through the lens of the 1995 Chicago heatwave, which killed 739 people — primarily poor, elderly, and Black residents.

Social justice: You can have an impact

Social justice education is the first step; the second is transforming it into action. Here are some ways you can promote social justice at all levels.

Get involved in your community

Start on your home turf. What social justice issues impact your neighbors? Talk to your fellow residents, attend city council meetings, or serve as a volunteer. Local policies and regulations are ground zero for social justice advocacy, so get involved in local politics. Form a community group, become a community organizer for social justice, or volunteer to impact the social justice issues you care about most.

Join or support social justice organizations

Activists working with social justice organizations are changing the game around social justice. One of the most venerable, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) was founded in 1920. The Southern Poverty Law Center takes on issues like poverty, criminalization, and democratic equality. The Innocence Project focuses on criminal justice issues, while the National Fair Housing Alliance focuses on housing equity. Girls, Inc. and Madre work to close the gender gap. 

There are many more — find an organization focused on a social justice cause you care about and get involved.

Research social justice petitions

Learn more about and engage in the most pressing social justice issues of our time by researching petitions on Change.org. Support efforts to address those issues by signing petitions on issues like LGBTQ+ rights, anti-discrimination campaigns, hate speech, social justice education, gender inequality, healthcare equity, women’s rights, and criminal justice reform.

Integrate social justice into the educational system

To achieve true social justice, we must embed social justice education into early education, higher education, and adult education. Teaching social justice empowers students of all ages to understand the world they live in and how they can make an impact for a better, more just world. 

As a parent, teacher, student, or concerned citizen, you can advocate for a curriculum that includes these vital areas by raising the issue with the school board, elected officials, and by creating petitions.

Social justice is everyone’s responsibility

Start your journey as a social justice advocate today. You can use your knowledge to start a petition that raises awareness about an issue that’s important to you and get the attention of decision makers who can implement powerful changes. 

Learn more about petitions from one of our guides, then consider starting a petition of your own. It’s the first step towards achieving restorative and transformative justice for all.