March marks Skidmore’s celebration of Social Justice Month (SJM), an even that began in 2013 by students Carmen Lin ’16 and Tim Kim ’15. “SJM is a collaboration between students, faculty, clubs, SGA and departments that aims to curate a calendar of social justice oriented events,” said Ari Bogom-Shanon ’18, one of the members of the SJM planning committee.
This year, the theme for SJM is community organizing. Not all events are held to this theme, but “we are interested in empowering students with tools, resources and stories about organizing around social justice issues,” said Bogom-Shanon. The events include lectures, calling congressional representatives, and even poetry readings. Clubs and departments were already planning many of the events taking place, but SJM “hope[s] to show students how many events related to social justice are happening around campus,” said Bogom-Shanon.
One event this year of particular note is “Building Social Justice: A Panel with Local Organizers,” which will occur on March 29. This panel will bring together people from local organizations—including Capital Area Against Mass Incarceration and the Labor Religion Coalition—to talk about community organizing in the Capital District and how Skidmore students can get involved.
“Although social justice is important year round, this month provides a venue for the Skidmore community to organize around issues they care about,” said Bogom-Shanon. To learn more about the specific events planned for SJM, refer to their month-long calendar on the second floor of Case.
**Skidmore News is sponsoring Social Justice Month.