SOUTHERN NEWS

Donovan Wilson – Reporter

Social justice is one of the glues that holds the building blocks of society together and this campus is proud of their involvement in such – but it means something different to everyone.

“To me it means that our school not only gets involved by hosting events, such as marches and rallies, but also accepts everyone’s own opinions and judgements and it allows the students to express themselves by letting them support what they believe in in different ways,” said healthcare studies major Briana Salemme, a freshman.

At the university, social justice is the concept of identifying and addressing systemic barriers such as equity, access, and success for all members of the community.

With all eyes on the Black Lives Matter movement, it’s become a focal point in society and on campus.

The university said on their website that it is “committed to constructive dialogues where we treat one another with dignity, respect, kindness, compassion, and civility as we share varying perspectives, with the goal of creating an inclusive culture.”

“Social justice is kind of more important now than ever. People need social justice and social justice cues more than ever in times like this,” said communications major Spencer Brunet, a junior.

Instead of focusing on social justice now, the Social Justice Month planning team has worked to do virtual programming throught the year.

Students have been given many platforms to students to voice their opinions, including the BLM march and a ‘Voter Teach-In.’

“It means a lot if people take the time to look at each other and know no matter what we are all the same people. If I was to cut you and then cut myself, we’re all going to bleed blood,” said sports management major Marcell Walker, a freshman.

Social justice month is celebrated yearly at Southern in November.

It is a time that Southern spreads their beliefs and promotes it through events more outright than ever but they exemplify these qualities throughout the whole year.

This year, they changed the paradigm from ally to antiracist.

Instead of calling themselves a “social justice school,” the website says “we aspire to become a social justice university,” stating a need to individually and collectively deepen the understanding of and commitment to taking action to end racial inequities at the university and beyond.

Social Justice Month is just a way to get students involved with messages of equality and helping to improve human interactions in the world, while also promoting discussion about what can be seen as “difficult topics.”

Photo credit: Donovan Wilson