History and Vision of the Racial Justice Initiative
The civil unrest in Spring 2020 in the United States has laid bare the stark reality of systemic racism. Across the country, people were signaling a new urgency to confronting the racial inequality that exists in our communities.
Dr. Yohuru Williams founded the Racial Justice Initiative (RJI) to address this pressing need. It was designed to inspire change through the lens of historical recovery and work collaboratively with individuals and organizations to create knowledge of the racial history of the United States. The initiative continues to champion partnership as fundamental to sustaining the pursuit of lasting change, empower young voices and be a leader of Black history in the Twin Cities and beyond.
Vision and Purpose
Founding director, Dr. Williams, shares his vision for the St. Thomas Racial Justice Initiative and the role history plays in inspiring positive change in our communities.
Foundational Concepts
Historical Recovery
Historical recovery is two-fold. First, it involves understanding the foundations of racism and how they have contributed to the present moment. Second, it offers insight into new interventions aimed at dismantling the harmful systems that were built on those foundations.
Six Degrees of Segregation
The "Six Degrees of Segregation" explores how deeply entrenched racial disparities manifest in key areas of society: Housing, Public Accommodation, Education, Employment, Voting, and Jim Crow Justice. Each represents a pillar of systemic segregation that has historically marginalized communities of color, especially African Americans.
The reality is that we can’t really talk about reimagining the future or talking about what we do from this point forward until we understand how we got here.
Ten Years. Four Goals.
Our 10-year vision is centered on four interrelated goals:
- To create new pathways for student engagement (through scholarships, internships, and sponsored programming) on issues of racial justice and equity.
- To develop, promote and support scholarships related to racial injustice that impacts and supports the work of community organizations involved in the same work.
- To establish St. Thomas as one of the premiere spaces for conversations around racial justice both locally and nationally.
- To inspire systemic change consistent with the mission of the university and its Catholic identity through scholarship and corporate and community engagement that focuses on eradicating racial injustice.
We are five years into that vision and have achieved so much thanks to the support of so many. Click on the button to read more about our positive impact on our surrounding communities.