If one part of the community cannot thrive, we all cannot thrive.
This action group is currently inactive. People interested in pursuing social justice activities: please contact Cheri Rekow, VP of Civic Engagement at georgco@fuse.net.
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 and affordable housing
- Voting rights
- Racial justice & criminal justice reformSJAG 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 of how WCC/SJAG can engage community organizations and membersin voter educations. Harriet Kaufman, SJAG members 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 volunteered 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: The action group is not active as of November 2025. People interested in pursuing social justice activities: please contact Cheri Rekow, VP of Civic Engagement at georgco@fuse.net.
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.