Transformative Justice on Campus
On June 12, John Fry sent out an email calling upon Drexel to "eliminate racism in our structures and practices," and then promptly sub-contracted the work to a task force. The steps to reforming the curriculum are not hard to find. Here are concrete steps Drexel can take to be a less toxically racist campus.
On June 12, John Fry sent out an email calling upon Drexel to "eliminate racism in our structures and practices," and then promptly sub-contracted the work to a task force. The steps to reforming the curriculum are not hard to find. Here are concrete steps Drexel can take to be a less toxically racist campus.
Read Michelle Alexander to understand how punitive and disciplinary measures often harm black and members of minority and marginalized communities.
Racism, sexism and incidents of bias require a transformative justice approach on our college campus
Racism, sexism and incidents of bias require a transformative justice approach on our college campus
What is Transformative Justice?
What is Transformative Justice?
According to California Coalition Against Sexual Assault "Restorative and Transformative Justice have long been used as tools for repairing harm in communities following an act of interpersonal violence, but how can these ideologies be used, primarily on school campuses, to advance sexual violence prevention?
According to California Coalition Against Sexual Assault "Restorative and Transformative Justice have long been used as tools for repairing harm in communities following an act of interpersonal violence, but how can these ideologies be used, primarily on school campuses, to advance sexual violence prevention?
First, a little bit of history. Restorative justice is rooted in indigenous and Native American practices of communal restitution and mediation as a means of addressing conflict. Originally, a significant part of its function was to return a balance of power to the impacted parties. In the 19th century, white European colonizers worked to gain power by creating a retributive criminal justice system that considered violent crimes a crime against the state or institution rather than the person who was impacted by the harm. Transformative justice emerged in the late 1990’s as an adaptation of restorative justice that sought to address the social inequities and environmental factors that allowed the harm to be done in the first place."
First, a little bit of history. Restorative justice is rooted in indigenous and Native American practices of communal restitution and mediation as a means of addressing conflict. Originally, a significant part of its function was to return a balance of power to the impacted parties. In the 19th century, white European colonizers worked to gain power by creating a retributive criminal justice system that considered violent crimes a crime against the state or institution rather than the person who was impacted by the harm. Transformative justice emerged in the late 1990’s as an adaptation of restorative justice that sought to address the social inequities and environmental factors that allowed the harm to be done in the first place."
Can it work on a University Campus?
Can it work on a University Campus?
Yes, Brown University has initiated a transformative justice program on its campus successfully, read on here.
Yes, Brown University has initiated a transformative justice program on its campus successfully, read on here.
Curriculum reform
Curriculum reform
Require all departments to institute anti-racist courses as requirements for their majors
Institute a University-wide First-Year curriculum on racial justice.
All of these scales of curricular reform would require the hiring of faculty trained in critical race theory and/or racial justice, AND the training of existing faculty on pedagogical skills for discussing race in the classroom.
Pedagogical reform
Pedagogical reform
Require all faculty to participate in annual workshops-reading groups on anti-racism