My Experience at the Social Justice Training Institute

Earlier this month in Long Beach, CA I had the opportunity to attend and participate in the Social Justice Training Institute. This four day institute examined social justice with a critical lens and allowed participants to immerse themselves in discussions of race and racism. We reflected on our personal and professionals experiences and looked at how our lives have been impacted by race and racism. The facilitators offered a foundation for us to work with and facilitated meaningful discussions across race membership groups and within same race membership groups.

For me, this experience was an intense learning experience that advanced my knowledge, awareness and understanding of race and racism in our society, in our work and in our personal lives. I valued the authentic discussions, relationship building with colleagues and the thoughtful work we did during the institute which transformed my thinking and approach to working with and addressing race and racism. We also discussed other types of oppression and how to address those oppressions in group and individual settings.

Overall, I found the Social Justice Training Institute to be an empowering and transformational experience. I will utilize the acquired skills, tools, my experiences and the experiences of my colleagues to impact the work I do in higher education and the life I commit myself to personally. I am thankful to have this opportunity and excited to continue educating, informing and engaging others in social justice work.

Understanding Social Justice and Diversity Workshop

On Wednesday, December 8, 2010 I had the opportunity to facilitate a workshop centered on helping Resident Assistants at Eastern Connecticut State University understand the difference between diversity and social justice. Oftentimes, both terms are used interchangeably without truly understanding the meaning and purpose of each term. The Dean of Students and his team at Eastern Connecticut State University invited me to campus to provide this workshop because they believed it would help the Resident Assistant staff learn about social justice and diversity and develop an inclusive approach to student engagement.

The workshop engaged and informed the Resident Assistant staff of the difference and how social justice and diversity can be applied within their university community. I introduced both terms with some context and a definition which was followed with experiential exercises that allowed them to work individually and in small groups. The student staff were very engaged and became comfortable in the space which allowed for reflective discussions. These discussions provided a chance for the participants to share personal experiences and how they plan to use this new knowledge of diversity and social justice in their residence halls and with their programming.

Some participants described my facilitation skills and the workshop with the following comments:

"The workshop was presented very well with many open ended questions, which I liked."

"I enjoyed David being very interactive with his workshop. He was open and accepting."

"David did a great job helping us think about how diversity and social justice play out in our lives and in our role as RA's."

To book David for a workshop or speaking engagement, please contact him directly at davidearljoneswebiste@gmail.com