Couldn’t attend CSJ: Ignite 101? No problem! We have all the information you need. This Round-Up was written by Women’s Center staff member Shrijana Khanal.

Critical Social Justice officially kicked off today with CSJ 101: Ignite! The presenters and leaders for this event were the Women’s Center’s very own Amelia Meman and Jess Myers. When the attendees walked in, they were welcomed with different tables which were each marked with a particular social justice issue–an affinity. The various issues included Immigration and Transnationality, Racial Justice, Economic Issues, LGBTQ Justice, Health Access and Equity, Government and Politics, Supporting Survivors of Sexual Violence, and Ecological Justice. Individuals were invited to sit at the table with the issue which most resonated with them, whether it was due to passion, curiosity, or personal ties. After everyone chose their affinity groups, Amelia began with a presentation. She began with the essential question of, “Why Critical Social Justice?” The main idea that Critical Social Justice embodies is the importance of increased inclusivity.

“Critical Social Justice grows inclusivity on UMBC’s campus by helping more people feel welcome and comfortable engaging in challenging conversations about equity and justice, across all racial and ethnic identities, genders, sexualities, political ideologies, academic fields, and life experiences.”

Every year, Critical Social Justice has a different theme, so why choose “ignite?” CSJ: Ignite is focused on building partnerships across UMBC and catering to everyone’s personal strengths in relation to social change and social justice movements. As Amelia shared, we are stronger together, and we are stronger when we work from a place of authenticity. CSJ: Ignite exemplifies how a single light cannot illuminate a whole city, but it can begin the movement that changes through the world. Amelia expanded this description by drawing a parallel to a scene in Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, where Pippin the Hobbit lights the beacon, symbolizing how UMBC is lighting the campaign of social justice activism through CSJ and invites each of us to reach out to others in the spirit of advancing social justice movements and change.

CSJ 101: Ignite was structured by first sharing examples of famous changemakers throughout history and then shifting the conversation to how we as individuals at UMBC can also become changemakers using their own strengths and interests. The examples of famous changemakers were:

• Sylvia River and Marsha P. Johnson, trans and gay liberation activists
• Kavita Krishnaswamy, a UMBC PhD candidate in computer science who increases accessibility of people with disability and seniors
• Ida B. Wells, an African-American leader, lecturer, and orator
• Audre Lorde, a black lesbian feminist writer
• FORCE’s The Monument Quilt, an activist collective that uses art to bring attention to and change rape culture
• Drs. Kenneth and Mamie Clark, a married team who conducted psychological research on children and internalized racism and self-concept
• Maysoon Zayid, an American Muslim actress and comedian of Palestinian descent

These various examples convey how social justice can be approached through different mediums like comedy, research, art, or writing. No lens, no skill, no perspective is better than another. They are all various and necessary tools to produce social movement and change.

Afterward, individuals in each group discussed what brought them all together at that affinity table. People shared their personal identities, experiences, and motivations for being an ally. Next, everyone was asked about their visions for that cause twenty years from now. The responses for this question included a mixture of optimism and hope combined with realism and anger.

Then, we all came together as a whole and reported out what we discussed in our small groups. The next of set of questions included sharing your major and career goals along with how our individual knowledge, expertise, skills, and talents can be applied to being a social activist and changemaker. It was fascinating to hear the different majors people had and how each major could serve a purpose in social movements, whether their field of study was computer science, public health, or financial economics. In addition, people’s diverse set of skills and talents including cooking, art, and animation also applied to the concept that anyone can use their hobbies for social justice. Our roles in our communities are not limited by specific boundaries or duties: we had a great turnout of RA’s, each of whom wanted to explore resources to better serve their residential communities.

CSJ: Ignite is just the beginning! Each and every individual has the capacity and ability to become a trailblazer and light the beacon of hope, activism, and justice. For a list of other CSJ events happening this week, check out our calendar!