Social Justice Program of the Year

This award recognizes social justice focused initiatives within a residential area. Social justice programs should proactively engage the community about the rich cultural diversity represented in the residence hall, at Duke, in Durham, and amongst the world. These initiatives could give opportunities for reflection, learning about identities, and privileges. They should also promote inclusion.

Nominees:

"What is Citizenship?" by Salvador Chavero Arellano, Andy Zhang, Krystal Hu, JJ Jiang (N5)


"The Persevering Soul" by Zari Wilson and Rezilience Williamson (Edens Quad)


Winner:

Zari Wilson & Rezilience Williamson (Edens)!

"The Persevering Soul: Uplifting the Narratives of Struggle, Sacrifice, & Solidarity‚ was an open mic spoken word event that took place during Black History Month. The vision for this event came from a conversation between a Graduate Resident and a Student Assistant who share a love for poetry and social justice. This event was done in collaboration with SpokenVerb. The atrium was decorated with streamers, portraits of the African American Leaders, a custom graphic on the large TV, a carpet and mic stand for performers, as well as special lighting. Furthermore, there was a set playlist for the night with a focus on African American artists to set the tone. The win for the night was the diversity of those performing and listening. It genuinely felt like a place where all voices were heard and celebrated without taking the focus away from celebrating Black History" -nominator


Honorable Mentions:

(While these programs were not formally nominated for an award, they are a few examples of the amazing work that was done by our RAs and still deserve acknowledgement!)

"Interfaith Panel Gender, Sexuality, and Religion" by N4 & N5

"Just Mercy Screening" by Micalyn Struble (N4)

"Voter Registration" by Christina Li (Hollows)

"Mississippi Freedom Letters" by Ethan Ready (Few)

"Lunar New Year Performances" by Anna He (N1)

"Conversation on masculinity and sex on campus with Duke Men's Project" by John Boom & Matt Long (N3)

"Honest Tea- the Duke Bubble" by Lasia Lo (Kilgo)

"Me Too Monologues Viewing" by Rishika Gundi (CW)

"Fireside Chat: How our Values Shape our Identities at Duke" by Regan Baum (N2)

"The History of Soul Food" by Jande Thomas (Edens)

"Challah and Anti-semitism" by Nicholas Chrapliwy (Craven)