Social Justice

What does social justice mean to you? The United Nations describes social justice as a cornerstone of its mission to promote peace, security, and human rights for all people worldwide. They identify five key principles of social justice as:

  1. Equity: the recognition that different people have different needs and circumstances;

  2. Access: ensuring that everyone has access to the resources and opportunities they need to succeed;

  3. Participation: enabling all individuals to play a role in the political, economic, and social life of the communities;

  4. Rights: protecting the human rights of all individuals; and

  5. Diversity: valuing and respecting differences between people, such as race, gender, and sexual orientation.

Arthur Ashe was a fierce advocate for social justice during his lifetime as he became more aware of inequities in his home community, across the United States, and in places around the world. His local and global travels for tennis allowed him to observe, inquire about, and interact with people who were treated unfairly and denied access to places, resources, and opportunities. In 1985, Arthur was arrested in Washington, DC, while protesting outside the South African Embassy, calling for an end to Apartheid and all racial segregation globally. In 1992, while advocating for Haitian refugees’ rights, he was again arrested while protesting outside the White House. He founded the Arthur Ashe Foundation for the Defeat of AIDS to raise public awareness about AIDS and to fight against the stigma associated with the disease. As a social justice advocate, Arthur grew more aware of these issues and took informed action to speak out against injustice and support changes to policies, laws, and practices. Using his platform as an athlete, Arthur’s relationships with influential citizens, and his abilities as a speaker and writer, Arthur became a leader – a champion – for social justice.

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Learning and Leadership Activities

Local Leaders

With a partner or small group, make a list of leaders worldwide who fight for social justice. For example, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Malala Yousafzai, and Greta Thunberg. Then discuss each person on your list to better understand who they are and what they do as social justice advocates. Consider these questions for your discussion:

  • Who are they? 

  • What injustice(s) are they fighting against and why? 

  • Where are they seeking social justice? 

  • What are they doing to raise awareness and take action on issues of social justice? 

Repeat this activity, focusing on leaders in your local community. After that discussion with your partner or small group, discuss with your larger group:

  • What are the similarities and differences between local and global champions for social justice?

  • What are the characteristics of these leaders that stand out to you? 

  • What might you have in common with these social justice champions?

Consider inviting a local social activist leader to speak with your group, discuss issues, and share ways for youth to engage civically. 

Different Needs for Different Communities

Working with a small group, make a list of communities you know in your local region. These communities might be defined by the geographic space they occupy or the cultural elements they share (e.g., religion, language, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, sports, work, etc.). Select and circle one of those communities listed to identify their needs and determine how they fulfill those needs. For example, a specific neighborhood with many families living in apartment buildings might need access to schools, parks, and places to buy/access fresh food. Write down the different needs for this community. Working together, make a plan to find out whether these needs are being met for the people living in that community. Consider talking with people in the community, researching news sources to identify issues for people living in that community, and finding information through government agencies, religious institutions, community organizations, and/or local leaders. This might take one or several weeks to find information that helps you better understand the different needs for different communities.

When your group comes back together, discuss your findings. How did your list of identified needs compare to what you learned about the community? What did you learn about how the community’s needs are being met? What might be done to ensure that this community’s needs can be met?

After each small group discusses what they learned about their community, have each group share with the larger group, then discuss the different needs of different communities in your local region. Ask the group how everyone might attain what they need to succeed in life and how we can achieve social justice. (Refer to the five key principles presented by the United Nations.)

Making a Plan for Social Justice

Take time to reflect on the question: What are the challenges faced by people today that stand in the way of social justice for all? Take time to write a response in your journal and/or discuss with a partner or small group. Continue to reflect, write, and/or discuss where and why these challenges exist. Then formulate a plan to address one of these challenges that stands out to you. Divide your plan into two parts – short-term actions and long-term actions. For example, you might be personally connected to a health issue that affects many people worldwide and has affected someone in your family. Your plan might be to learn more about this health issue in the short term (during the next 3 months) and, in the long term, volunteer for a health clinic or organization that supports people with that health issue. Share your plan with others, and seek advice or ideas to strengthen it and inspire others.

Reflect, Discuss, Write

Have you heard the expression, “Change takes time”? What do you think this means? What are some examples of changes you have experienced or witnessed in your life that “took time”? Why do some changes take a lot of time while other changes seem to happen more quickly? Think about a change that you want to see in your community or in the world. How much time do you think it would take for that change to be realized? 

Discuss, write about, and create a plan with a timeline that is both aspirational and realistic for a change you want to work toward to achieve social justice.