Juniors Explore Social Justice Topics on Civic Lab Day

Every year, juniors are challenged to discover what citizens can do to fight injustice, solve inequity and achieve social justice in their year-long Civic Lab. Students participate in groups that focus on topics such as LGBTQ issues, immigration, the rights of those with disabilities, drug policy, women’s concerns and environmental justice.

This week, juniors dedicated an entire day to Civic Lab by focusing on their specific topic in the morning with their group leader, then spending the afternoon learning about the other groups’ topics in workshops featuring guest speakers. 

Cheryl Johnson, executive director of People for Community Recovery (PCR), spoke to students about PCR’s work to enhance the quality of life of residents affected by environmental pollution. Johnson’s mother, Hazel Johnson, is known as the mother of environmental justice and dedicated her life to effecting change in the field, specifically in her own community, Altgeld Gardens. Johnson referred to this area on the South Side of Chicago as a “toxic donut” due to its surrounding landfills and hazardous waste sites. 

Johnson and PCR have worked with the Chicago Housing Authority to improve Altgeld Gardens and also helped other areas around the country fight similar instances of environmental injustice to work toward real change every day. 

In another session, photographer Ryan Bakerink discussed his project, If I Knew Then, which features members of the LGBTQ community writing letters and offering advice to their younger selves. 

“I wanted to create work that had a positive impact on mental health and the LGBT community,” Bakerink said as he took students through examples of the letters, which offered examples of finding strength, believing in oneself and not looking to others for approval. 

Students then gave advice to their younger selves. One said, “Strive to become more of an individual and to care a little less about what others think.” Another student suggested, “You are so much more resilient than you think you are.”