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My definition of Social Justice has evolved greatly over time. Initially, I looked at social justice solely through the lens of economic and political exploitation. I became fascinated by the effects of U.S. foreign policy and it's impact on different parts of the world. Much of this was facilitated through music. Many of the bands that I was listening to highlighted inequity and injustice across the world. Rage Against The Machine moved me to learn more about the EZLN in Mexico and the impact of globalization on indigenous cultures. System of a Down drove me to learn more about the use of U.S. military power in its impact on the people of Iraq. My passion for this type of music was couple with earning my Bachelors in History and Political Science at Northeastern Illinois University where I was exposed to many different racial, ethnic, and cultural groups for the first time. It was a incredible perspective changing experience and helped me truly understand my privilege for the first time.

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System of a Down's "BOOM" addresses how investing in military takes away from addressing larger societal issues such as hunger and poverty.

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System Of A Down - Boom! (Official HD Video)

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A constant theme in the Music of Rage Against the Machine is the long history of economic exploitation of Latin America

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Rage Against The Machine: People Of The Sun

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It wasn't until I became a teacher that I started looking at social justice through the lens of education and became more aware of the importance of being an advocate for social justice. Social Justice advocates focus on how "institutionalized theories, norms, and practices in schools and society lead to social, political, and economic inequities  (Dantley and Tillman, 2010). Through my experiences as a teacher, I've seen first hand how things like race, language barriers, and poverty can disproportionately impact our students,

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It wasn't until I became a teacher that I started looking at social justice through the lens of education and became more aware of the importance of being an advocate for social justice. Social Justice advocates focus on how "institutionalized theories, norms, and practices in schools and society lead to social, political, and economic inequities  (Dantley and Tillman, 2010). Through my experiences as a teacher, I've seen first hand how things like race, language barriers, and poverty can disproportionately impact our students.

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My view of Social Justice is therefore viewed primarily through an educational lens. The way I My personal philosophy involves Promoting of Muliticulturalism, recognition, and recognizing that I am working with youths. Multiculturalism most immediately comes into play in my role as a social studies teacher. By exposing students to cultures outside of the classroom we are exposing them to the rest of the world. Students should have a fundamental right to understand the people and histories of Latin America, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. With better understanding of these places comes a better understanding of issues of equality and equity.
Recognition. As an educator it is imperative that I recognize the different experiences and backgrounds of my students and understand how that impacts their learning. I need to be aware that things like racism, poverty, xenophobia have real and lasting impacts on my students. By recognizing the consequences of these issues on my students I can best be prepared to help them through their personal educational journey.
Youth In order to promote social justice in my classroom, it is also important for me to understand that I am working with the youth of America. I need to understand that many of my students will not have been previously exposed to different cultures and different groups. When a student says something that has a flare of ethnocentrism or racism (Intentional or not), I will not be disappointed, I will view it as an opportunity to help them grow. With youth comes ignorance and with education comes a tool to better understand the world around you and an opportunity to promote equity and social justice.

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Persistence is a characteristic that I find to be extremely important in social justice leadership. Achieving a just and equitable society is a continuous process that can not be achieved over night. It takes dedication, patience, and persistence.  Advocating for social justice can also be something that is met with resistance. It is important for social justice leaders to understand that "transformation without tension is impossible and agitation is typically the catalyst for change" (Cooper). This goes for both resistance within a district and resistance outside of a district.

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Sam Cooke's song should be an anthem for social justice advocates. Change WILL come, but it will take determination and persistence.

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Sam Cooke - A Change Is Gonna Come (Official Lyric Video)

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Leadership in Social Justice needs to be a collaborative endeavor. Social Justice leadership cannot happen in isolation. Learning can be "powerfully affected by those around us" and much of what we learn "occurs through purposeful interactions with others" (Scanlan and Theoharis, 2015). This can be done in large part by promoting Communities of Practice that make addressing social justice issues a shared pursuit. Collaborative leadership towards social justice should not be limited to educational leaders within a building or district, it should also include the families in the communities that we serve. If educational leaders can reach out and build alliances with families, educational decisions can be made that break down biases and build alliances within the community. If leaders can facilitate this kind of collaboration, there can be a better sense of trust and collaboration between schools and the families that they serve (Cooper, 2010).

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I've seen several iterations of this picture. I find that it does a really good job of explaining the difference between equality and equity. At a recent equity training session however, I was shown the third graphic, "Liberation". The idea is that the fence itself is an institutionalized structural barrier (Think poverty, racism, etc) and that liberation can only be achieved once that barrier is removed. This is an incredible way to frame social justice work in classroom. Although Transformative leadership won't necessarily change the "wider social patterns of poverty and power", it can still provide a leadership style for schools to acknowledge these patterns and make policies that "redistribute resources to correct inequitable outcomes" (Shields, 2010).

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Transformative Leadership Focus and Methods

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Transformative Leadership Focus and Methods

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Transformative leaders understand that they do not need to be the sole holders of power and authority because they understand that they cannot lead alone (Cooper, 2010). This differs greatly from a style that places all decision-making and execution in the hands of a single individual. I believe this is a very compatible leadership style for promoting social justice in education. Transformative leadership inherently addresses social justice by creating "learning contexts or communities in which social, political, and cultural capital are enhanced in such a way as to provide equity of opportunity for students " (Shields, 2010) Additionally, as Shields notes, transformative leaders facilitate "effecting deep and equitable change, creating new knowledge frameworks, acknowledging power and privilege" as well as focusing on "Liberation, democracy, equity, and justice" (Shields, 2010). When this becomes the framework for an educational leader, social justice can be addressed.

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-Cooper, C.W. (2010). Educational leaders as cultural workers: Engaging families and school communities through transformative leadership. In S.D. Horsford (Ed.), New Perspective in Educational Leadership: Exploring Social, Political, and Community Contexts and Meaning (pp. 173-195). New York, NY: Peter Lang.

-Dantley, M, E. & Tillman, L, C. (2010). Social justice and moral transformative leadership. In C. Marshall & M. Oliva (Eds.), Leadership for Social Justice: Making Revolution in Education (2nd ed.) (pp. 19-34). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

-Scanlan, M. & Theoharis, G. (2015)Intersectionality in educational leadership. In G. Theoharis & M. Scanlan (Eds.), Leadership for increasingly diverse Schools (pp.1-10). New York, NY: Routledge.

-Shields, C.M. (2010). Transformative leadership: Working for equity in diverse contexts. Educational Administration Quarterly, 46, 558-589.