Community Organizing & Activism Pathway:

Involving educating & mobilizing people to influence others toward attitude, policy, or cultural change

Below is a list of campus organizations departments that identify with the community organizing and activism pathway. Select the arrow next to the organizations name in order to view their description, contact information, website, and other materials. On the day of the fair, click the "drop in here" link in order to visit the organization for an open information session.

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Climate Action Movement

Student Organization

We aim to hold the University accountable for all the harm they have continue to cause to the environment that threatens future generations and aims to dismantle the oppressive systems that the University perpetuates through its endowment and its actions. Social justice is the fight against entrenched powers to end the perpetuity of systems of harm affecting vulnerable groups/peoples. This is all in the aim of working towards equity and diversity.

  • Social Justice Focus Areas: Environmental & Sustainability, Global Justice

  • Organization Contact info: dimm@umich.edu

Girl Up Michigan

Student Organization

Girl Up Michigan is a chapter of the United Nations campaign dedicated to supporting the health, safety, and education of girls in vulnerable countries. We raise funds for our focus countries, Guatemala, Ethiopia, Liberia, Malawi, India, and Uganda. Join our org to find a close-knit community, play a significant role in changing women's lives and fighting for gender equality, network with accomplished women, volunteer locally, and learn technical skills by joining our committees, such as the Graphic Design Committee. Visit https://girlup.wixsite.com/umich for more.

  • Social Justice Focus Areas: Gender Equity

  • Organization Contact info: riprasad@umich.edu

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HeForShe

Student Organization

Founded in 2016, we are a collegiate branch of the larger United Nations HeForShe, which is a global solidarity movement that recognizes gender equality as a human rights issue, not just a women’s issue. We invite people of all genders to stand together in creating a bold, visible force for gender equality in the footsteps of HeForShe head Elizabeth Nyamayaro. Through our initiatives on campus, we hope to contribute to the growing student activism community through education, awareness, and advocacy. Our biweekly general meetings include regular discussions regarding relevant gender issues both affecting university policy and global issues. We also regularly volunteer with the Women's Center of Southeastern Michigan.

  • Social Justice Focus Areas: Gender Equality, Human Rights, LGBTQ Rights

  • Organization Contact info: heforsheeboard@umich.edu

JustDems of College Democrats

Student Organization

Our committee focuses on social justice issues in the context of the Democratic Party platform. We educate ourselves on current social justice issues and either raise more awareness of these issues on campus or find ways to directly affect them. Our overall main goal for this semester, however, is to support progressive candidates and encourage voting. With that said, each week looks a little different. We plan to have meetings on how to be an ally to the BLM movement and center a social media campaign around that. We also want to figure out ways to replace some of those conversations we would have had in classrooms when the presidential debate was set here by emailing professors to encourage their students to vote and speak about politics and current social justice issues. We also want to highlight the ways COVID has exposed institutional issues in our healthcare and education systems.

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Mentality Magazine

Student Organization

Mentality Magazine’s overall purpose is to remove the stigma surrounding mental health and instead make mental health discussions a priority in our society. Championing this goal, Mentality members use open discussions and honest writing to share personal experiences relating to mental health and to advocate for equal rights for all. Mentality Magazine’s main goals for the upcoming school year include raising awareness for mental health and well-being, and maintaining the sense of community that our organization establishes for its members. Mentality Magazine is dedicated to providing an outlet for students to share how the current world events, such as the global pandemic and the ongoing and horrific racial injustices, are affecting their mental health.

Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs

University Department

Everyone is welcome and supported in MESA. We approach our work with students via the lens of race and ethnicity while recognizing that they bring multiple and complex identities with them. MESA is grounded in theory, engages both the individual and collective, promotes cross-collaboration, builds intercultural skills, and empowers students to address social justice issues.

  • Social Justice Focus Areas: Racial Justice, Diversity, Global Justice, Civil Rights

  • Organization Contact info: cheeia@umich.edu

  • Visit Program Website Here

M-Mates: Affiliates for Prison Reform

Student Organization

Our goal as an organization is to spread awareness about the injustices within our criminal justice system and unite students in advocating for prison reform. We additionally seek to connect UM students to returning citizens to work together to achieve their goals for reentry. We know things are going to look different this year, but we hope to put together several virtual events featuring a range of speakers---individuals who have experienced the horrors of the criminal justice system, as well as local activists who are working to enact change in this space. We hope to expand our network of students and spark a passion for prison reform and social justice among our new members.

  • Social Justice Focus Areas: Racial Justice, Economic Justice

  • Organization Contact info: mbrecher@umich.edu

South Asian Awareness Network (SAAN)

Student Organization

The overall purpose of our organization is to provide a space for social justice issues salient to the South Asian community can be discussed. We also actively work to collaborate with other social justice orgs on campus as well as put on a large conference in January that features speakers from all around the globe. Our main goals for the upcoming school year are to examine the intersection of South Asian and other identities, especially those that are often overlooked, while also participating in activism across campus.

Spectrum Center

University Department (student life)

With sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression as our framework, the Spectrum Center is committed to enriching the campus experience and developing students as individuals and as members of communities. Our work is accomplished through a student-centered, intersectional lens.

Students Organize for Syria

Student Organization

Students Organize for Syria (SOS) is the only movement for Syrian people in the United States that is entirely governed by students. As an individual chapter, we are responsible for ensuring SOS’s existence as a national and unified movement through our collaboration with chapters at other universities. Together, with the leaders of each chapter, we are the student voice for Syria, committed to standing with the Syrian people in their aspirations for freedom and liberty. Our three pillars are Education/Awareness, Advocacy/Solidarity, and Fundraising. Our chapter is dedicated towards fulfilling these three pillars, fundraising for orphans and refugees that have been affected by the Syrian Civil War, and raising awareness of the crisis that currently exists in Syria. We do this with the hope of making a positive national AND international impact, racing towards a better future for the victims of the war.

  • Social Justice Focus Areas: Civil Rights, Global Justice, Human Rights, Diversity

  • Organization Contact info: sos.eboard@umich.edu

  • Visit Organization Website Here

The Black Student Union

Student Organization

The purpose of the Black Student Union is to promote and sustain an atmosphere that is conducive to the political, cultural, social, spiritual, economic, and educational growth of students of African descent and the University community at-large. Our main goal for this school year is to make sure our community still feels connected even though we are fully virtual

  • Social Justice Focus Areas: Racial Justice, Civil Rights, Diversity

  • Organization Contact info: the.black.student.union@gmail.com

  • Visit Organization Website Here

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The Program on Intergroup Relations (IGR)

University Department (student life)

The Program on Intergroup Relations (IGR) is a social justice education program. IGR blends theory and experiential learning to facilitate students' learning about social group identity, social inequality, and intergroup relations. The program prepares students to live and work in a diverse world and educates them in making choices that advance equity, justice, and peace.

The United Asian American Organization (UAAO)

Student Organization

The United Asian American Organizations (UAAO) was established in 1988 to work in unity with the Asian American community on campus. We are a coalition group representing various Asian American organizations on campus. Our aim is to serve as the liaison and collaboration agent for diverse Asian American organizations at UM, promote awareness of Asian American issues, serve as a political voice for Asian American organizations on campus, and develop relationships with other POC groups on campus and Asian American organizations outside of UM.

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Women's Organization on Rights to Health

Student Organization

Through action-oriented project groups (ex: empowering people who are homeless, contraception education) and weekly discussions, we work to raise consciousness and activism at various levels regarding reproductive justice.

  • Social Justice Focus Areas: Gender Equity, Civil Rights, Human Rights, Diversity

  • Organization Contact info: abjoz@umich.edu

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Yoni Ki Baat (YKB)

Student Organization

YKB is an organization aimed at raising awareness around social justice issues, especially those pertaining to Women of Color. Our goals for this year include: increase number of members and regularity of member attendance; have multiple educational workshops/dialogues; put on a monologue show in the Fall and Winter terms, with more attendance and more actresses; and to increase our publicity and outreach on campus.