Sonoma State University is hosting a Social Justice Week program from March 2 to March 7. Events will be held in Ballroom A, and the times of events will fluctuate throughout the week.
Sonoma State’s goal during this week is to shine light upon all of the various aspects of social justice. The program will touch upon issues that are happening around the university and the county, but will also describe the issues that are occurring globally.
This is an event that has been put on for the last several years. No matter what a person’s race, ethnicity, or background is, this outstanding educational week is something that everyone can benefit from.
“It was a very fascinating event to attend. I was able to go to a couple events that really intrigued my interest, and I really enjoyed my time. I felt much more knowledgeable about the subjects I was interested in,” said Lisa Pence, a senior communications major, about social justice week last year.
During Social Justice Week, there will be about five to six different topics of discussion each day. Discussions will last around an hour and a half. People that are able to attend these events will not be disappointed. Attendees will have the pleasure of listening to some incredible stories and lectures.
On the first day of the week, at 7:00 p.m., Penny Rosenwasser will talk about her book, “Hope Into Practice: Jewish Women Choosing Justice Despite Our Fears.” She plans on discussing real life stories and how they relate to social justice. On the fourth day of the week-long event, Rebel Fagin, a street activist who writes for the peace press and Global Critical Media Literacy Project, plans on talking about how climate change requires direct action.
Alongside Penny Rosenwasser and Rebel Fagin, Nicole Wolfe, a sociology professor here at Sonoma State, will be in Ballroom A at 12:00 p.m. on Friday, March 6. She will be talking about US drug policies and how it affects our country. After Nicole Wolfe speaks, later in the day, Mickey Huff, who is currently a professor in the history department at Diablo Valley College, will discuss the fight on the fake news invasion.
Buzz about this event is already circulating around campus. A junior at Sonoma State, Katy Bowling, said, “I am currently taking a social justice class that I am extremely interested in, and I want to learn more about some of the topics.”
“I am excited about the week long Social Justice program, because the topics that are being discussed are something that I am very passionate about,” said Amir Hassoun, a business major at Sonoma State.
Overall, Sonoma State students are extremely excited to get involved. The school and surrounding county have a lot of different clubs and organizations that work closely on social justice issues. Specifically, there is the Sonoma State University Sociology Social Justice and Activism Club, SSU Associated Students, Peace and Justice Center of Sonoma County, International Committee for Peace, Sonoma State’s California Faculty Association, and more. These are different clubs and organizations with various backgrounds that are all working towards a common goal: to understand and educate others on the different battles within social justice.
The goal of social justice week is to get as many people involved and aware as possible. This is an extremely positive and beneficial event for people of all different backgrounds. There are multiple events everyday during the Social Justice Program week, and the volunteers encourage students and faculty to come out as often as possible.
If you are interested or have any questions, contact [email protected] or 707-664-2934.
