CNY Social Justice League
Mission Statement
Central New York Social Justice League
Mission Statement
There is no neutral classroom. In fact, there is no such thing as neutrality. As Archbishop Desmund Tutu tells us, "If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor." As educators, we believe social justice looks and sounds differently for each of us based on culture, social class, gender, and/or context. We also believe that true social justice work is active and ever-changing in order to meet the needs of a specific space and time.
We believe that literacy is a right. We believe that denying youth access to basic literacy that acknowledges their funds of knowledge (Moll, Amati, Neff, & Gonzalez, 1992) and cultural community wealth (Yosso, 2005) denies their fundamental and constitutional right to liberty and nondiscrimination (Wong, 2018).
In Central New York, the need for social justice work cannot be overstated. Syracuse, New York is 18th in a list of the nation's most impoverished cities--a significant increase from #9 (Wiener, 2019)--but the city is only 4.2% points from the second spot on the list. Moreover, the most segregated school district border in New York State is right here in Onondaga County (EdBuild, 2020).
We believe that literacy is a right. We believe that denying youth access to basic literacy that acknowledges their funds of knowledge (Moll, Amati, Neff, & Gonzalez, 1992) and cultural community wealth (Yosso, 2005) denies their fundamental and constitutional right to liberty and nondiscrimination (Wong, 2018).
In Central New York, the need for social justice work cannot be overstated. Syracuse, New York is 18th in a list of the nation's most impoverished cities--a significant increase from #9 (Wiener, 2019)--but the city is only 4.2% points from the second spot on the list. Moreover, the most segregated school district border in New York State is right here in Onondaga County (EdBuild, 2020).
Therefore, we believe that all of us have a responsibility to educate ourselves and our community members about injustice and discrimination in all its forms with regard to differences in: race, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, age, appearance, ability, national origin, language, spiritual belief, size [height and/or weight], sexual orientation, social class, economic circumstance, environment, ecology, culture, and the treatment of animals (National Council of Teacher of English, 2009).
Resources:
EdBuild (2020). Fault Lines: America’s Most Segregating School District Borders [Interactive
Website]. Retrieved from https://edbuild.org/content/fault-lines.
Moll, L. C., Amanti, C., Neff, D., & Gonzalez, N. (1992). Funds of knowledge for teaching: Using a qualitative approach to
connect homes and classrooms. Theory into practice, 31(2), 132-141.
National Council of Teachers of English (2009, December). Conference on English Education:
Beliefs of Social Justice in English Education. Retrieved from http://www.ncte.org/cee/positions/socialjustice.
Weiner, M. (2019, September 26). Census: Syracuse's poverty rate remains among the nation's highest. Retrieved from
https://www.syracuse.com/news/2019/09/census-syracuses-poverty-rate-remains-among-nations-highest.html.
Wong, A. (2018, July 06). Students in Detroit Are Suing the State Because They Weren't Taught to Read.The Atlantic.
Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2018/07/no-right-become-literate/564545/.
Yosso, T. J. (2005). Whose culture has capital? A critical race theory discussion of community cultural wealth. Race
ethnicity and education, 8(1), 69-91.
Resources:
EdBuild (2020). Fault Lines: America’s Most Segregating School District Borders [Interactive
Website]. Retrieved from https://edbuild.org/content/fault-lines.
Moll, L. C., Amanti, C., Neff, D., & Gonzalez, N. (1992). Funds of knowledge for teaching: Using a qualitative approach to
connect homes and classrooms. Theory into practice, 31(2), 132-141.
National Council of Teachers of English (2009, December). Conference on English Education:
Beliefs of Social Justice in English Education. Retrieved from http://www.ncte.org/cee/positions/socialjustice.
Weiner, M. (2019, September 26). Census: Syracuse's poverty rate remains among the nation's highest. Retrieved from
https://www.syracuse.com/news/2019/09/census-syracuses-poverty-rate-remains-among-nations-highest.html.
Wong, A. (2018, July 06). Students in Detroit Are Suing the State Because They Weren't Taught to Read.The Atlantic.
Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2018/07/no-right-become-literate/564545/.
Yosso, T. J. (2005). Whose culture has capital? A critical race theory discussion of community cultural wealth. Race
ethnicity and education, 8(1), 69-91.