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.
Support Social Justice
The Social Justice Hub is the recipient of the Senior Class Gift of 2021.
Support social justice initiatives and the Social Justice Hub by contributing to the Senior Class of 2021 Class Gift. The donations will go towards supporting action teams’ work, expanding our student internships, and hosting guest speakers. Find out more here.
Events
Find out additional UW-Madison social justice events here.
Global Partnerships for Local Solutions: Helping Yemen’s Young Engineers Fight COVID-19
Wednesday, June 23
9:30-11:00 AM CST
UNDP, together with Engineers Without Borders and the University of Wisconsin, Madison, will host a public webinar to celebrate and provide a platform for reflection and review on the work done in Yemen in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Find out more here.
Toward Inclusive Sustainable Development and Global Health: The Contributions of Human Rights, Gender Analysis and Indigenous Knowledge
Tuesday, June 29
4:30 – 5:30 PM CST
Panelists, via Global Health Institute, explore a new model for sustainable development that integrates human rights, gender equity and Indigenous and local knowledge.
Read more
Reckoning With Our History: UW-Madison’s History of Discrimination and Resistance
Tuesday, June 29
10-11:30 AM CST
This June 29 Zoom event, sponsored by the Division of Information Technology (DoIT) Equity & Diversity Committee, features presenter Kacie Lucchini Butcher, UW–Madison Public History Project Director, and will focus on the historical context and origins of racism and discrimination at UW–Madison. The event is open to all in the campus community, and registration is not required.
Find out more here.
Sign up for French 211: Doctors Without Borders
Professor Gilles Bousquet is offering a new course topic based on the history and work of the French/International organization Doctors Without Borders. The objective of this course, taught in English, is to provide an overview of Doctors Without Borders (and to some extent other NGOs) working in health crisis situations, including its history, mission, organization, internal management, cultural, political, and ethical challenges. The course will examine issues of global health, social justice, and humanitarian action that are of particular relevance to our present times. Reach out to Professor Gilles Bousque – bousquet@wisc.edu
Meet The Social Justice Hub 2020-2021 Interns
The Social Justice Hub Interns are planning for this academic year. Please email us to let us know of people we can connect with to bring our community together and further social justice.
Office Assistant
Ethan Brooks (he/him/his) is a 2nd year Psychology and Sociology student who joined the Social Justice Hub in order to get involved on campus and try to influence positive change right here at UW.
Intake
Naomi Bergena (she/her/hers) is a 3rd year Legal Studies student with a certificate in Criminal Justice. She joined the Social Justice Hub because of her passion for advocacy work and community building and hopes to foster a welcoming environment for students who are interested in social justice work.
Operations
Grace Searls (she/her/hers) is a 2nd year Agricultural and Applied Economics and Statistics student with certificates in Global Health and Mathematics. Her motivation for joining the Social Justice Hub is to create a positive impact in her local community.
Housing Equity & Housing Equity Action Team
Parnika Shukla (she/her/hers) is a 4th year Biology and Spanish student. She joined the Social Justice Hub because of her passion for people and hopes to use her position of privilege to advocate and support others.
Marketing & Media
Julia Lackey (she/her/hers) is a 4th year Psychology student with certificates in Criminal Justice and Digital Studies. She appreciates how collaborative the Hub is in bringing people and ideas together and is excited to be a part of a community that facilitates positive change.
Community Partner Coordinator
Sophia Boté (she/her/hers) is a 3rd year Economics and Asian Languages & Cultures student with a focus on Southeast Asia. She is passionate about improving the lives of those in the Madison community and beyond and appreciates the Hub’s holistic approach to social justice through education, discussion, collaboration, and more.
Events
Madelyn Vilker (she/her/hers) is a 3rd year Marketing and International Business student with certificates in Gender and Women’s Studies and Spanish for Business Studies. By joining the Social Justice Hub, she hopes to continue advocating for equity within UW-Madison through collaborative events and discussions.
NEW – Apply for 2021-2022 Social Justice Hub Graduate Student Internship
The Social Justice Hub is now taking applications for the Social Justice Hub Graduate Student Intern for 2021-2022. Find out more here.
Social Justice News Articles
Wisconsin offers seedlings to its landowners to aid reforestation
Biden signed a bill addressing hate crimes against Asian-Americans. “I’m proud today that Democrats and Republicans have stood up together,” he said.
Black history in 2 minutes (or so)
Understanding the ABCs of L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+
The Daily Cardinal’s presents: Wealth & Poverty action project. Check it out here!
- From Texas to Tulsa to Turkey: The Price of Deniali
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Rev. Paula Stone Williams led a conservative evangelical church for more than 20 years. Then, came out as a transgender woman. Paula shares insights (and related to her book) “As A Woman: What I Learned About Power, Sex, and the Patriarchy After I Transitioned.”
How To Talk About Climate Change So People Actually Care
Which sounds more urgent: “global warming” or “pollution blanket overheating planet”? In this actionable talk, communications strategist John Marshall explains why we need to rethink how we talk about climate change — and offers small but mighty language adjustments to get people to more intuitively understand and care about this existential threat. 7:50 minutes
Watch this Ted Talk now
The Historical Truth of Neo-Slavery Beyond Juneteenth
In a very real and lived way, American slavery ended in 1945, not in 1865. This grim reality was brought to fuller focus in Douglas A. Blackmon’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Slavery by Another Name: The Re-enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II. Daniel Pierce Bergin, executive producer of the film adaptation, reflects with Blackmon on the connections between past and contemporary horrors.
Read More
LaVar Charleston Named UW-Madison’s Chief Diversity Officer
LaVar Charleston has been named to lead the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s diversity and inclusion efforts.
Charleston will serve as the university’s chief diversity officer, also holding the titles of deputy vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion, vice provost, and Elzie Higginbottom Director of the Division of Diversity, Equity and Educational Achievement (DDEEA). Charleston will begin on August 2. Read more.
Podcasts, Talks, and Exhibits
Fresh Out of Spoons is a group of friends talking about the daily lives and trials of living with chronic illness and disability. Their goal is to create a safe space for candid (and entertaining!) conversation and education about the good, the bad, and the ugly of life with chronic illness.
Art Exhibit – Harmony and Evolution: An Exhibition of the Chinese American Art Faculty Association
Art Exhibit – Refugees Unpacked
Volunteer Opportunities
Farmer’s Market Food Recovery
This is a perfect opportunity for anyone interested in social services, food systems, or sustainable agriculture; as well as student, church and work groups. You help others eat well, get plenty of fresh air, and get to know the Farmers’ Market and its vendors. Volunteer individually or as a team.
Food Distribution
The Hmong Institute needs help with two large food distributions in June. You are invited to volunteer so that hundreds of families get food on their tables. Volunteer shifts include June 18 and 25 in the mornings and afternoons. Hot lunch is provided.
Social Justice Hub Action Teams
Food Justice Collective
The Food Justice Collective 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 support the team’s work.
Criminal Justice Reform
Criminal Justice Reform works to promote awareness and change related to social justice issues in the criminal justice system. 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, partnerships, and initiatives related to housing insecurities with the related greater Dane County organizations. Contact Co-Directors, Diego Flores and Nicole Meyer, to further support housing equity.
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
Find out more here.
- 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.
- UW-Madison’s Adventure Learning Program (ALPS) is hiring a student financial specialist with information here.
- The Multicultural Student Center (MSC) is hiring student interns for the 2021-2022 academic school year including theoperations intern positionand Student Organization Outreach Graduate Intern.
gALPHA Young Leaders (June 28th – July 23rd) is a free, virtual, four-week pre-accelerator for high school students (or outgoing seniors) in Dane County. Ten teams will be selected to participate in the Founder’s Track where we will build a social enterprise from scratch and learn the fundamentals of becoming a startup founder. Teams and individuals selected for the Learner’s Track will have an opportunity to attend kickoff, participate in weekly lunch and learns, and attend guest speaker events — a perfect option for exploring the world of startups without diving in too early.
Our goal is to sharpen skills like leadership, public speaking, and business acumen through building your own company. It is a perfect summer experience for a young adult’s resume. And most importantly, participants will make friends, build cool things, and have fun!
If you know of anyone that comes to mind (maybe even your own child!) who would like to participate, I would be more than happy to connect and tell more about the program! For more information or to apply for our program, Find out more here.
The Aldo Leopold Nature Center is looking for several current students and recent graduates majoring in community and nonprofit leadership, the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, or a related field of study to join their Non-Profit Development and Special Event Management Internship Program. Apply by Sunday, July 18.
The UW–Madison Outstanding Women of Color Awards honor faculty, staff, students and members of the community for contributions in social justice, activism on behalf of marginalized populations, scholarly work on race, ethnicity and indigeneity, and community building. Nominations are due Sept. 13. Read more here.
Whether a new or experienced trail enthusiast, everyone can be conscious of responsible recreation. This theme has been widely shared using the hashtag, #RecreateResponsibly. Learn more at: www.recreateresponsibly.org
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.
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