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Social justice is a historically-centered, recognition and addressing of oppression and marginalization. A world grounded in social justice would be communal and community-centered, humanist, and abolitionist. - Bree

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Social justice is the work that moves us from where we are towards where we need to be as a society.  It's challenging work and it moves slowly because humans have short memories.  This doesn't make it any less worthwhile.  In fact, perhaps it adds urgency to the work.

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Social justice is reminding our loved ones, students, and ourselves that we have a voice. A voice that cannot be silenced despite the audacity of ignorance and misinformation that is currently pervading our society. Making a choice each day to teach our students to look at everything with an open mind and an open heart. Leading our students with love, compassion, kindness is social justice.

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Social justice is the practice of breaking down barriers that restrict inclusion.  It should provide for fair practice and benefit all by sharing the varied and wonderful experiences and backgrounds of all of us.  In the classroom, social justice is providing opportunities to share voices and to be understood and accepted.  Social justice in the classroom is ensuring that voices are heard and respected.  Social justice in the classroom is collaborative, and social justice in the classroom is real-world.

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Social justice is the practice of breaking down barriers that restrict inclusion.  It should provide for fair practice and benefit all by sharing the varied and wonderful experiences and backgrounds of all of us.  In the classroom, social justice is providing opportunities to share voices and to be understood and accepted.  Social justice in the classroom is ensuring that voices are heard and respected.  Social justice in the classroom is collaborative, and social justice in the classroom is real-world.

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To me, social justice is about a living practice of selflessness and empathy. We need to continually be aware of the other[ness] around us. This means considering our neighbors, other drivers, the folks in the grocery store, young people, old people, babies, animals, the other passengers on the plane, the earth, the postal and DMV workers, the stock personnel at Walmart...considering the experience of every living thing around us. What do they need us TO DO, TO SAY, TO VOTE ON, TO READ, TO UNDERSTAND, TO CORRECT to live the most healthful and productive life possible.

And maybe this is just another way of saying that social justice is "treating others (all living things) the way you want to be treated." We cannot forget that "treat" in this context is a verb.

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Regularly reinforcing that it is our class, not my class, is a foundational aspect of the definition of social justice for which I strive.  Everyone’s voice should be heard and everyone’s perspective is welcome as such diverse viewpoints enrich us all by broadening our perspectives and challenging our preconceptions.  Resources in the classroom should reflect our nation’s diversity by presenting a variety of perspectives on issues that affect us all.  Such resources, in the form of books, podcasts, articles, media clips, etc., may be used not only to inform, but also as prompts for class discussions and writing assignments that inspire critical thinking, enable students to practice literacy skills, and enhance our awareness.

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Social justice is about removing the barriers that keep people separated and unequal. I believe the systems of oppression are largely funded by class inequality and warfare.

I teach at a low income school where all of my students receive free breakfast and lunch.  There isn't an aspect of my definition that does not touch my teaching every year. These students struggle with not having enough resources or with family members who can not help at home because they are constantly working to survive. I work at a title one school because I believe I can help these students more than I could others.

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Social justice is the act of rectifying institutionalized inequities while still preserving individual freedom, responsibility, and dignity.

As a teacher, I strive to meet my students where they are, and give them the support and guidance they need. Not all students come to school with the same level of skill, and I feel it's part of my responsibility to fill this void where I can. But, I also know that personal responsibility is a key factor in student success. So, I try to find a balance between providing scaffolds, and then removing them when the child can stand on their own. After all, kids gain so much more confidence when they know their success comes from their own abilities.

In my mind, social justice should do the same thing: fill the gaps (by removing them from the institution), provide fair access and opportunity, but allow the human being to make decisions for themselves, and determine their own outcome.

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Social justice in the simplest form could be seen as fairness in society.  Not easy to achieve it requires individuals coming together and working together to achieve this. The core beliefs of social justice is that all people should have equal rights and opprotunities. Without standing together we are only as strong as our weakest link.  Social Justice requires us to look at ourselves and each other as all deserving the same opportunities. It also requires us to address our own privileges and biases. As a teacher of social justice, we need to make sure all of our students feel included and are represented. As well as creating opportunities for students to be seen and heard. Creating a classroom of understanding each other and growing with each other. As well as building strong peer relationships that encourage a basic understanding of each other.  AS well as empathy for others.

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is about people from all walks of life coming together to achieve something bigger than they can create alone.  Social justice encompasses equity and access across all aspects of life--education, health care, jobs, housing, voting and politics, immigration, the environment, religion, and even how we punish criminals.
As teachers of social justice we should try to bring into our classrooms texts, media, etc. that represent ALL of our students; we should try to address different learning needs and styles knowing that one size does not fit all; we should help our students better understand their place in society and the world at large while providing a safe place where they proudly share who they are and connect to their peers in positive ways that build empathy and understanding; we should help our students understand our democracy and give them ways to become involved in issues that interest them; we should help them understand that they are the future-they can make the changes they want to see happen--and we should try to give them all the ammunition they need to do that.