Developing Social Justice Allies

Book excerpt: The fiftieth anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision (1954) called us as student affairs professionals to reconsider and reaffirm our commitment to social justice. This issue is a call to action to student affairs professionals who are working as social justice allies, those with a commitment to make their college campuses a place where all community members are respected, validated, and fostered in developing their full potential. This issue encourages the development of ally attitudes and action in both students and student affairs colleagues. It first presents the conceptual foundation for social justice ally development and then covers in depth the strategies for the development of social justice behaviors in specific dominant group members. In each case, we have intentionally enlisted voices of authors who identify with the dominant and target groups on which the chapter focuses. This is the 110th volume of the Jossey-Bass higher education quarterly report series New Directions for Student Services. An indispensable resource for vice presidents of student affairs, deans of students, student counselors, and other student services professionals, New Directions for Student Services offers guidelines and programs for aiding students in their total development: emotional, social, physical, and intellectual.