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Building Power with a New Generation
of Social Justice Leaders
Existing models of leadership in social justice are often tied to one theory of change or a single community of practice, whether that’s street protests, workplace organizing, or lobbying on Capitol Hill. But a new generation of leaders needs to fight for power across movements and from outside and inside existing institutions. These leaders want to fundamentally understand power: how to build it, how to use it, and how to share it with our communities.
That’s why we created a new center to support a diverse cohort of leaders from the communities at the forefront of social justice movements, who can build collective power that can be wielded anywhere, from the streets to the halls of Congress.
The Leadership Center For Democracy and Social Justice is a new initiative of the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership at City College of New York and the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies. We help early and mid-career leaders in social justice movements build power across disciplines and with the communities that are at the forefront of social change.
Why Us and Why Now?
The challenges of our times – from economic and racial inequality to climate change to rapid technological and demographic change to defending democracy itself can only be met by a large cadre of strong, diverse, connected leaders who are capable of thinking across boundaries, developing imaginative new approaches to old problems, and managing and executing large scale change.
The Leadership Center for Democracy and Social Justice offers dedicated training, mentorship and development to movement leaders. It draws from nationally recognized universities, an advisory board of established leaders and thinkers across movements, a dedicated staff with a wealth of experience in social justice, and a growing cadre of fellows themselves.
1. SHIFT POWER
We need to build power with people of color, women, LGBTQ+ people, people from low-income and working-class backgrounds and those most affected by injustice to effect social change.
2. CREATE A WIDE AND INCLUSIVE ON-RAMP
A young, diverse cadre of emerging leaders want to establish careers inside and outside existing institutions as they help their communities build and use power.
3. CULTIVATE LEADERSHIP
Leadership must draw from multiple disciplines and theories of change to be effective. Our programming emphasizes history, theory, practice, intersectionality and collaboration.
4. MAXIMIZE THE POTENTIAL
Emerging leaders want to learn about how to build, use and exercise power in multiple contexts, from the streets to the halls of legislatures.
5. DEVELOP
Emerging leaders are connecting with one another to foster collaborations across identity, geography and causes because all of our struggles are fundamentally connected through power.
Connect with the center to learn more about
upcoming leadership cohorts and our evolving work.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Jessica Barba Brown
Launch Executive Director
160 Convent Avenue, New York, NY 10031
Last Updated: 12/02/2021 13:39