Social Justice News
Welcome to Social Justice News. Read on to find out more about social justice-related events at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and beyond, a variety of resources and selected articles. Consider joining the Social Justice Hub, individually or with friends, by filling out our interest form.
We are excited to announce that…. the Social Justice Hub will be the recipient of the Senior Class gift this year! Check out this article to learn more and watch our video.
Events
Find out additional UW-Madison social justice events here.
Volunteer with the Housing Equity team
April 3, 8:30 AM – 12 PM CST
Volunteer with the Housing Equity team at First United Methodist Church to help those who are in need of free food at the church’s food pantry. Find out more here.
A Candid Picture of Health: How structural racism shapes health disparities around us
April 5, 12 – 1:00pm CST
Join School of Pharmacy Professor Dr. Eva Vivian, an expert on disease prevention in underresourced communities, on her talk on a pervasive topic: health disparities and how to tackle them. Register for the Zoom event here.
April 6 is Wisconsin’s Spring Election
In-person early voting on campus is taking place Monday through Friday, March 23 – April 2 from 11 am – 4:30 pm at Memorial Union (enter via the theater entrance) with an option to vote on Election Day. Create your personalized plan to register and vote through the BadgersVote interactive voting tool at go.wisc.edu/StepsToVoteUW. Find out more at vote.wisc.edu.
WUD: Rapper and Poet Noname
April 7, 7 PM CST
Join a conversation with rapper and poet Noname discussing art and poetry, music, and the empowerment of BIPOC communities and women. Register here (for all with a valid wisc.eduemail). Find more details about “Music, Art and Poetry: A Conversation with Noname” at the event page here, as well as more information about Lit Fest here.
A Candid Picture of Health: Structural racism in mental health
April 8, 10 – 11 AM CST
Join Dr. Linda Oakley from the School of Nursing on how communities can apply the social justice frame to the “defunding” of mental health care in the 80s compared with the “criminalization” of Black mental health needs today versus White mental health needs defined as “diseases of despair.” Learn more here.
Alumna to Discuss UW’s Nellie McKay
April 8, 4 PM CST
In a new biography, Shanna Greene Benjamin examines Nellie Y. McKay’s strategies for succeeding as a Black woman professor. McKay served on the UW–Madison faculty from 1977 to 2006, creating a space for the study of Black literature and Black feminist thought. Benjamin will discuss her book in a virtual event.
Legislative Power Over Administrative Agencies: A Retrospective on 2011 Wisconsin Act 21
April 8, 10:30 AM CST
The Thompson Center is pleased to host a 10th anniversary virtual conference exploring the purpose of Act 21, its legacy, and its application in the ongoing state Supreme Court litigation in Clean Wisconsin, Inc. v. DNR. Find out more here.
Wisconsin LGBTQ+ Virtual Health Summit
April 9, 9 AM – 5 PM CST
Join the virtual Wisconsin LGBTQ+ Health Summit for the novice to the experienced, for all health care practitioners, health sciences faculty and staff, students, and members of the wider LGBTQ+ community. $25 and free for students. Find out more and register here.
Porchlight Property Pickup
April 10, 9 AM – 1 PM CST
Join the Housing Equity team to help pick up Porchlight properties in East Madison. This will include lifting heavy objects (no more than 50 lbs), painting, raking, etc. Contact Nicole, SJHhousing@studentlife.wisc.edu, for more information.
The First Amendment on College Campuses
April 16, 12 PM CST
The Thompson Center is pleased to host a virtual conference that examines the First Amendment and its role on college campuses today. Find out more here.
Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) Heritage Month
This April, APIDA Heritage Month explores how APIDA identity is shaped within and outside the community. The Spaces in Between will center on the lived experiences of Asian Pacific Islander Desi Americans to illustrate how identity continues to be situated and reimagined in a changing world. Upcoming events. As the UW’s celebration of APIDA Heritage Month and in response to student advocacy, the APIDA Student Initiative Fund is being launched to raise transformational dollars to support the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Student Center (APIDASC) within the Multicultural Student Center (MSC).
Find additional UW-Madison events here.
Social Justice News Articles
- Wisconsin offers seedlings to its landowners to aid reforestation
- How to support the Asian, Pacific Islander and Desi American (APIDA) Community Members
- The trial of Derek Chauvin over the killing of George Floyd has started. Here’s what to know about the case.
- Why Deb Haaland’s Secretary of Interior Confirmation matters.
- The Daily Cardinal’s presents: Wealth & Poverty action project. Check it out here!
- UW’s gay purge history
- UniverCITY improves sustainability, resilience, livability, and the general well-being of Wisconsin communities
- ASM votes to support transgender athletes, COVID-19 Student Relief Fund amendments
Social Justice Hub Action Teams
Let us know of your interest in Action Teams here, including a team you’d like to form!
Food Justice Collective
The Food Justice Collective, a collective of UW-Madison student-led groups, works to improve food access, provide information about available resources and unite existing initiatives with the common goal of food justice. Contact the Food Justice Collective Co-Directors, Raven Hall and Connor Raboine, to get involved.
Criminal Justice Reform
Criminal Justice Reform works to promote awareness and change related to social justice issues in the criminal justice system. New members are invited to weekly Wednesday 8 PM meetings (via zoom). Contact Co-Directors, Alli Burgdorf and Clarence Harley, to further support criminal justice reform.
Housing Equity
The Housing Equity team increases awareness through education, community building, organization partnerships, and initiatives related to housing insecurities connecting with the related greater Dane County organizations. New members are invited to weekly Tuesday 6 pm meetings (via zoom) to discuss current issues.
Contact Co-Directors, Diego Flores and Nicole Meyer, to further support housing equity, including work at local organizations.
Form a Team
One of the ways that we accomplish reaching out to both campus and the greater Madison area to further social justice is through our action teams, which are subsets of the Hub that are formed and led by students. Let us know of your interest in a team here, including if you would like to form a new one!
Announcements
Apply for Social Justice Hub 2021-2022 Internships
Applications are now open for Social Justice Hub internship! Positions — from marketing & media to outreach — will are open now, and applicants will be selected by the end of the semester. Through internships, you are able to work with our campus and city communities to further social justice goals along with toning your skills of leadership, collaboration, and communication. Apply for Social Justice Hub internships here!
Apply for all Office of inclusion Education Internships here.
Campus Interships and Positions Summer or 2021-2022
- Campus and Visitor Relations is hiring summer tour guides and information guides.
- The Morgridge Center for Public Service undergraduate and graduate interns. Visit our jobs page to see open positions.
- The Associated Students of Madison paid and volunteer leaders to help advocate for students across campus positions are listed here.
- Student Affairs is hiring a communications intern focusing on reporting and storytelling with more information here.
Suggest 2021-2022 WUD DLS Social Justice Speakers
The WUD Distinguished Lecture Series is dedicated to bringing insightful speakers to the UW-Madison campus to talk about thought-provoking topics that students care about. The committee wants to know who you’d like to bring to campus. Submit your nominations for speakers here.
Badger Volunteers Instagram
Check out the new Badger Volunteers Instagram! As UW-Madison’s largest volunteer program with more than 600 Badgers who make an impact on their community each semester, follow the new account to stay engaged and tuned into all things Badger Volunteers!
Day of the Badger April 6-7
Day of the Badger is a day (and then some) to band together for Bucky, give to your passion, and share your UW pride. So, get ready to support the UW and help the university advance its mission and remain a world-class institution. Plus, many matching opportunities means you can double your impact. Find your opportunities here.
Clean Lakes Alliance
While in-person opportunities are still suspended for the time being, the Clean Lakes Alliance is seeking volunteers for three initiatives. Visit the website for more information on how to provide feedback on a new online youth education tool, volunteer to be a LakeForecast monitor this summer or host a self-led beach or park cleanup.
Inclusion Education
The Office of Inclusion Education elevates and prioritizes diversity, equity, and inclusion for all students at UW-Madison. We offer a broad array of learning opportunities for students that contribute to their Wisconsin Experience. The Office of Inclusion Education seeks to foster social justice to create a place where all Badgers feel like they belong. The Office of Inclusion Education includes Our Wisconsin, Social Justice Education Programs, and the Social Justice Hub.
Education Programs
UW community members are able to request a Social Justice Education Program trainings and workshops to support exploration and engagement in topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Collaboration with student organizations and campus partners is encouraged and occurs regularly. Please request workshops at least 3 weeks in advance.
UW-Madison Social Justice Resources
- UW-Madison Resources – DACA, Hate and Bias, Reflection & Prayer Spaces
- UW–Madison Social Justice Organizations, Courses, and Conferences.
- Social Justice Books and Documentaries
- 5-Minute Training Topics
Equality is the soul of liberty; there is, in fact, no liberty without it.
-Frances Wright