Social Justice Action Group

If one part of the community cannot thrive, we all cannot thrive.

Purpose: The Social Justice Action Group addresses inequities due to systemic poverty and inequality, racism, and sexism. Concerns include racial justice, gender equality, equal access to health care and affordable housing, criminal justice reform, citizen empowerment, and voting rights.

Current activities: The action group presents forums and develops resources to educate and empower WCC members and the public about the barriers people in our communities face who are disproportionately impacted by inequities. The SJAC is responsible for developing WCC involvement at public activism events.

SJAG collaborates with other social justice groups in the community and advocates for or against legislation, offers opportunities for education, and connects with others. Community need drives the following priorities, established by the SJAG steering committee in two winter vision and priorities meetings. SJAG is focusing primarily on the first two in 2022.

•  Livable wages & affordable housing
• Voting rights
• Racial justice & criminal justice reform
• Access to health care

SJAG is supporting Greater Cincinnati Voter Collaborative’s efforts to engage communities in educating and registering voters and motivating them to vote. It is developing the logistics on how WCC/SJAG can engage community organizations and members in voter education and registration. SJAG member Harriet Kaufman is networking in the Price Hill area to learn where and when we can volunteer for voter engagement and registration. SJAG (and other WCC)  members will volunteer for training about GCVC’s new voter education packet and register voters in Price Hill in summer and October  the autumn 2022

What committee members  do: The committee operates as a steering committee that meets monthly to explore, discuss, and prioritize issues, develop projects and action steps (“hands on ways to make a difference”), plan forums, and assign tasks.  These may include preparing short educational articles about issues and social justice organizations for the Update and Bulletin and, writing statements of support or opposition to proposed legislation or other action on behalf of SJAG and WCC,

How to get involved: To find out more about SJAG and to join, contact David Siders at DavidSiders@womanscityclub.or

SJAG achievements

To support the work and help amplify the mission of social justice-driven community organizations and stakeholders, SJAG promoted educational opportunities sponsored by other organizations. As a call to action, SJAG encouraged attendance at activism events that promote and call for affordable and inclusionary housing policy change. For example, SJAG asked the Board to cosponsor two programs at Peaslee Neighborhood Center on inclusionary housing.

SJAG developed and carried out the concept of SJAG Spotlights on social justice organizations and activism opportunities in our communities for several issues the WCC weekly Update and the Bulletin.

SJAG organized and supported several WCC forums.