A Shared Journey Toward Social Justice Activism

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/ie.2025.587

Keywords:

social justice and advocacy, education, White identity, narrative, transformation

Abstract

As a two-educator household, we entered the University of South Carolina’s EdD program in the spring of 2020 expecting to earn a degree that would provide greater financial support for our family while simultaneously refining our teaching practices. However, the program’s emphasis on social justice and advocacy resulted in more than just additional letters after our names—it transformed and reshaped our identities and perspectives, not only as individuals, but also as educators and parents. We were challenged to confront our assumptions and positionalities, broaden our understanding of equity, and embrace our roles as agents of change within our immediate spheres of influence. This article follows our shared journey and incorporates honest self-reflections of two White educators turned social justice advocates through the discovery of our White privilege and an increased awareness of the social injustices in our world but most acutely in our profession.

References

Adams, M., Bell, L., & Griffin, P. (2007). Teaching for diversity and social justice. Routledge.

Anderson, J. (Host). (2021, December 17). How to be a social justice parent and raise compassionate kids (No. 394) [Audio podcast episode]. In The Harvard EdCast. The Harvard Graduate School of Education. https://www.gse.harvard.edu/ideas/edcast/21/12/how-be-social-justice-parent-and-raise-compassionate-kids

Ansell, A. E. (2006). Casting a blind eye: The ironic consequences of color-blindness in South Africa and the United States. Critical Sociology, 32(2–3), 333–356. https://doi.org/10.1163/156916306777835349

Banks, J. A. (2004). Teaching for social justice, diversity and citizenship in a global world. The Educational Forum, 68(4), 296–305. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131720408984645

Bell, L. A. (2007). Theoretical foundations for social justice education. In M. Adams, L. A. Bell, & P. Griffin (Eds.), Teaching for diversity and social justice (2nd ed., pp. 1–14). Routledge.

Boyd, A. S., & Glazier, J. A. (2017). The choreography of conversation: An exploration of collaboration and difficult discussions in cross disciplinary teacher discourse communities. The High School Journal, 100(2), 130–145. https://doi.org/10.1353/hsj.2017.0003

Bradt, C. C., & Berkfield, A. (2021). Parenting for racial justice. In A. Berkfield (Ed.), Parenting 4 social justice: Tips, tools, and inspiration for conversations & action with kids (pp. 73–124). Green Writers Press.

Coldron, J. & Smith, R. (1999). Active location in teachers’ construction of their professional identities. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 31(6), 711–726. https://doi.org/10.1080/002202799182954

Coates, T.-N. (2015). Between the world and me. Random House.

Cochran-Smith, M., & Lytle, S. L. (2009). Inquiry as stance: Practitioner research for the next generation. Teachers College Press.

Davis, A. Y. (1981). Women, race, & class. Vintage Books.

DeCuir, J. T., & Dixson, A. D. (2004). “So when it comes out, they aren’t surprised that it is there”: Using critical race theory as a tool of analysis of race and racism in education. Educational Researcher, 33(5), 26–31. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X033005026

Derman-Sparks, L., Ramsey, P. & Olsen Edwards, J. (2011). What if all the kids are white?: Anti-bias multicultural education with young children and families. Teachers College Press.

DiAngelo, R. (2011a). What does it mean to be White? Developing White racial literacy. The Teacher Educator, 46(3), 180–196. https://doi.org/10.1080/08878730.2011.578280

DiAngelo, R. (2011b). White fragility. International Journal of Critical Pedagogy, 3(3), 54–70. http://libjournal.uncg.edu/ijcp/article/view/249/116

English Standard Version Bible. (2001). ESV Online. https://esv.literalword.com/

Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed. Seabury Press.

Giroux, H. A. (2020). On critical pedagogy (2nd ed.). Bloomsbury Academic. https://doi.org/10.5040/9781350145016

Jupp, J. C., Berry, T. R., & Lensmire, T. J. (2016). Second wave White teacher identity studies: A review of White teacher identity literatures from 2004 through 2014. Review of Educational Research, 86(4), 1151–1191. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654316629798

Ladson-Billings, G. (1998). Just what is critical race theory and what’s it doing in a nice field like education?. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 11(1), 7–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/095183998236863

Lee, Y. A. (2011). What does teaching for social justice mean to teacher candidates? The Professional Educator, 35(2), 1–20.

Lindsey, R. B., Robins, K., & Terrell, R. D. (2009). Cultural proficiency: A manual for school leaders. Corwin.

Lingard, B., Sellar, S., & Savage, G. C. (2014). Re-articulating social justice as equity in schooling policy: the effects of testing and data infrastructures. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 35(5), 710–730. https://doi.org/10.1080/01425692.2014.919846

Loughran, J., & Brubaker, N. (2015). Working with a critical friend: A self-study of executive coaching. Studying Teacher Education, 11(3), 255–271. https://doi.org/10.1080/17425964.2015.1078786

Marshal. C., & Olivia, M. (2006). Leadership for social justice: Making revolutions in education. Pearson.

McIntosh, P. (1990). White privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack. Independent School, Winter, 31–36.

Min, M., Lee, H., Hodge, C., & Croxton, N. (2022). What empowers teachers to become social justice-oriented change agents? Influential factors on teacher agency toward culturally responsive teaching. Education and Urban Society, 54(5), 560–584. https://doi.org/10.1177/00131245211027511

Moore, F. (2007). Agency, identity, and social justice education: Pre-service teachers’ thoughts on becoming agents of change in urban elementary science classrooms. Research in Science Education, 38, 589–610. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-007-9065-6

Newman, D. (1997). Sociology: Exploring the architecture of everyday life. Pine Forge Press.

Sanjakdar, F., & Premier, J. (2023). Teaching for social justice in higher education: Reflexive and critical auto-ethnographic narratives of hope, resilience, and change. Teaching and Teacher Education, 127, Article 104114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2023.104114

Sosa, T. (2020). “That sure is racist”: Classroom race talk as resistance. Education and Urban Society, 52(7), 1039–1065. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013124519894983

State Board of Education. (2023). Uniform procedure for selection or reconsideration of instructional materials. South Carolina Department of Education. https://ed.sc.gov/state-board/state-board-of-education/library-regulation/library-files/sbe-regulation-43-170/

Tatum, B. D. (1992). Talking about race, learning about racism: The application of racial identity development theory in the classroom. Harvard Educational Review, 62(1), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.17763/haer.62.1.146k5v980r703023

Vaught, S. E., & Castagno, A. E. (2008). “I don’t think I’m a racist”: Critical race theory, teacher attitudes, and structural racism. Race Ethnicity and Education, 11(2), 95–113. https://doi.org/10.1080/13613320802110217

Ward, C. J. (2013). Addressing stereotypes by moving along the continuum of cultural proficiency. Voices from the Middle, 20(3), 27–31.

Young, I. M. (1990). Justice and the politics of difference. Princeton University Press.

Downloads

Published

2025-11-11

How to Cite

Sox, D. S., & Sox, J. T. (2025). A Shared Journey Toward Social Justice Activism . Impacting Education: Journal on Transforming Professional Practice, 10(4), 65–70. https://doi.org/10.5195/ie.2025.587

Issue

Section

Themed- EdD-Activism: The Dissertation in Practice and Beyond