Social Work: Ldrship for Racial Justice

Seminar on creating racial justice through leadership. The 7 C's of leadership development are explored: consciousness of self, congruence, commitment, collaboration, common purpose, controversy with civility, and citizenship. These concepts are applied to explorations of racism and racial justice.

Open to Degree and PACE students

SWSS 1010: Leadership for Racial Justice is a three-credit course designed to equip students with the insights and tools needed to drive positive social change. This course explores how individuals can understand their roles and responsibilities related to race, racism, and racial justice, and how they can use leadership principles to foster change. The central framework of the course is the Social Change Model of Leadership Development, which is explored through the "seven C's": Consciousness of Self, Congruence, Commitment, Collaboration, Common Purpose, and Citizenship. By integrating these concepts, students are encouraged to apply theoretical knowledge to real-life situations, addressing both interpersonal and intrapersonal dynamics to advance racial justice. Overall, SWSS 1010 aims to prepare students to become informed, reflective, and proactive leaders committed to promoting racial justice in their communities and beyond. Successfully completing SWSS 1010 also partially fulfills the D1 Race and Racism in the U.S. General Education Requirement. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to: • Understand foundational concepts of race and racism in the U.S. from both individual and systemic perspectives, considering both historical and current issues. This includes exploring historical and contemporary issues to grasp how these factors influence societal structures and individual experiences (Competency 3). • Apply the Social Change Model of Leadership Development as a framework for racial justice. Students will learn how to integrate this model into their leadership approach to drive meaningful change (Competency 2). • Analyze and evaluate their own strengths, values, identities, and leadership skills. This self-assessment will help students understand their leadership style, their interactions within groups, and their personal perspectives on race, racism, and racial justice (Competency 1 and 6). • Design a final project that harnesses both individual and collective skills. This project will be designed to mobilize efforts and foster collaboration aimed at achieving racial justice, allowing students to apply their learning in a practical, tangible way (Competency 1, 2, 3, 6).

In this course, we will critically examine established concepts related to leadership, race, racism, and racial justice, while also exploring new perspectives on these issues. The course will involve self-reflection, both large and small group discussions, practical activities, and opportunities to connect personal experiences with course objectives. This learning environment emphasizes community building and collective wisdom as key components in delivering theoretical frameworks, addressing social issues, and fostering positive social change. This approach includes establishing community guidelines to create a supportive environment where sharing experiences and posing questions is encouraged. Additionally, each class will begin with time allocated for questions and announcements. Shared agreements, or community guidelines, are essential for meeting the course objectives and maximizing its potential. The foundation of these agreements include: • Actively engaging in class activities • Attending classes regularly • Submitting assignments on time and to the best of your ability • Being receptive to diverse perspectives and sharing your own • Consistently reflecting on class discussions and content Each class builds on the previous one, so your notes from discussions and activities will be essential for completing assignments. You will notice that some assignments allow for non-traditional formats such as visual aids or voice recordings. This course might feel different from your other classes. The goal is to challenge and expand familiar narratives through our discussions, current events, and community-building activities. I am interested in seeing evidence of your original thought, specifically how you interpret and apply what we discuss in class with your own views on creating positive social change. Consider this course as the beginning of an ongoing dialogue about your role, responsibility, and relationship to race, racism, and racial justice. How you integrate these lessons into your personal and professional life is up to you, and I look forward to observing the positive contributions you will make!

Attendance & Participation This course leans into collective wisdom; the wisdom you hold and the wisdom of others. To tap into the collective wisdom, we all must commit to attending and actively engage with one another within the classroom. Please review the Engagement Policy for an expanded definition of engagement. Reflection Journals These journals are designed to connect class material with your own leadership journey, personal experiences, and current events. You can submit your journal in written, visual, or auditory formats. As long as you address the prompt, all formats will be accepted. The March Trilogy Book Report The March Trilogy is rich with themes that have important meaning in past and current events. Racial Justice, civic engagement, and intersectionality are some examples of themes that are interwoven throughout the March Trilogy. The purpose of this paper is to choose one theme from the trilogy and apply this theme to your personal leadership journey. Personal Leadership Philosophy & Presentation The purpose of this assignment is to create a personal leadership philosophy that inspires you to create positive change. You will be able to identify, evaluate, and interpret your own values and beliefs and to think critically about how those attitudes impact your ability to function effectively in a diverse environment. In this paper, you should describe the development of your values, beliefs, personal leadership style, and social identities as well as areas of growth needed in these areas. You will be able to utilize the Social Change Model’s Individual Values to formulate your own personal leadership philosophy. Students are also encouraged to identify and work through biases to create an inclusive environment. Personal Leadership Philosophy Presentation This presentation serves as an opportunity to articulate your personal leadership philosophy and how it has been applied in your past leadership endeavors and/or how it will be applied in the future. Please include a single phrase that communicates your leadership philosophy, and include examples and details from your paper. Racial Justice Group Project Proposal The Racial Justice Project is your opportunity to dream big and envision how you may create racial justice by applying the Social Change Model and your personal leadership philosophy within a group setting. Racial Justice Group Project Exhibit Building on your proposal, a successful exhibit will provide an in-depth overview of your chosen social issue and its connection to racial justice as well as: 1. How it relates to your personal leadership philosophy and utilizes the SCM: Individual Values 2. How your group determined worked through SCM: Group Values 3. Pitch for a future project that creates positive change by using the Social Change Model (including a focus on SCM: Citizenship) 4. Detailed references to class content Your exhibit may take on a variety of formats. I encourage creativity so you may choose to present your Racial Justice Project as a graphic novel, Op-Ed, traditional poster, or another multimedia format.