Center for Social Justice and Education

Advocacy U - Fall 2025

Since its inception more than 50 years ago, the Houston Area Urban League has been an invaluable asset to our city, providing important economic assistance, education, and employment resources to Houston’s minority communities. To fulfill our mission and help address racial inequities, injustice and related civic engagement education and civil rights navigation, HAUL established the Center for Social Justice and Education. The amplification of advocacy, education services and programming to meet the needs of underserved communities is critical to the continued economic growth and quality of life for all Houstonians.

The Center’s services are based upon the increased need for community advocacy and facilitated through a Social Justice University component. Services allow HAUL to provide a more comprehensive response to the current climate families are encountering and equip them with the tools they need to become real time advocates. The Advocacy U program supports community engagement through modules where participants are led through a practice that examines the various challenges facing their communities. This community engagement process will provide participants with the resources and partnerships needed to foster civic engagement and leadership development.

As a vehicle for equity, the Center will offer experiences that build awareness, develop leaders, and accelerate change among individuals, teams, and groups as we seek best and next practices in the social justice space. The Advocacy U Program will provide virtual workshops on Declaration of Independence: The American Constitution- New Freedoms or Status Quo, Party Politics and Redistricting, Emancipation Proclamation, and the 13^th Amendment; Illusions of Freedom, Civil Liberties verses Civil Rights, Federalism Defined: States’ Rights or Authoritarianism, The Politics of Race in the American Psyche, American Culture in the Age of Terrorism, Democracy and War, Perceptions of Race in the Age of Obama, Black Freedom and Citizenship. The experience includes a combination of Lecture and Workshops, Peer-to-Peer, Hands-on activities, and Group Discussions.

CSJE Orientation

We will introduce attendees to the Urban League Movement and the Center for Social Justice and Education. We will take them through a virtual tour of both the National and Local Urban League Movements. After the high-level overview, we will talk through the ground rules, syllabus, and expectations for the weeks ahead. In this iteration of Advocacy U, we will be revisiting the foundation of American politics and racial identity that corresponds with the complexities of our American struggle.

Speaker: Dr. Ronald Goodwin, Professor at Prairie View A&M University

Declaration of Independence and the American Constitution: New Freedoms or Status Quo,

Virtual – 2/11/2025

The CSJE is honored to feature Dr. Goodwin Prairie View Professor of American History who will discuss Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence, it’s structure, justification behind the revolution and how the impact through our struggle for freedom relates to current political freedoms today.

Civil Liberties vs. Civil Rights, Virtual - 2/18/2025

Civil Liberties are freedoms guaranteed through the US Constitution to protect everyone from oppression (ex. freedom of speech), while civil rights are legal rights that protect individuals from discrimination (ex. employment discrimination). This virtual activation will explore the differences between civil liberties and civil rights, the laws that govern them and characteristics designed to protect the laws interpreted through the federal legislature established by the federal government.

Speakers: Dr. Alex Goodwin, Professor at Southwestern University

Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment: Illusions of Freedom,

Virtual – 2/25/2025

In 1863, The Emancipation proclamation freed enslaved peoples in the Americas only in confederate states, but the 13th Amendment was responsible for making it a national policy. This activation will analyze the proclamations limitations - as it did not end slavery but will explore how it transformed the union states and layered levels of execution through terms and conditions that challenged the outcry for freedom as those freedoms are still challenged today.

Speaker: Yannis Banks, Texas NACCP Committee Chair

Party Politics and Redistricting, Virtual 3/4/2025

Political loyalty is important to predict election outcomes. Gerrymandering (also known as redistricting) continues to be a vital component in the voting process to disempower democratic leaning voters who live in predominantly urban areas. In this segment, you will learn about what redistricting is, how the process disenfranchises communities, and impacts social determinants within our daily lives.

Speakers: Dr. Larry Weeden and Dr. Craig Jackson, Professors at Thurgood Marshall School of Law

Federalism Defined: States’ Rights or Authoritarianism, Virtual 3/11/2025

The distribution of power allows states to share their power with the national government. In principality, each state has their own constitution where each can exercise its power to choose, for example, what kinds of ballots to use or voting procedures foundational to elections decided by our national government. In a time when policies have become weaponized, this virtual will look at how states are utilizing their power, patterns of ideology(beliefs) and how it has centralized/decentralized political power.

Speakers: Dr. James Douglas, Michael Adams, Merline Pitre, Professors at Thurgood Marshall School of Law

Texas History – African American & Latino History - Virtual 3/25/2025

Within Texas, African American’s and Latino’s made a huge imprint on the economic development of the land. Slavery was the catalyst and Texas plantation owners obtained free labor because of it. After seceding from Mexico, the revolution in 1836 made Texas an independent nation for 9 years until 1845. How did interim sovereignty effect the profitability of the state and to what degree did African Americans who fought during the civil war impact those conditions? This activation will explore the state of independence to further promote economic gains at the expense of human capital. 

Speakers: TSU, Dr. Craig Jackson, Professors at Thurgood Marshall School of Law

Democracy and War – Virtual 4/1/2025

Democracy and War affects our political liberation. As democracy takes applied force from the table, war polarizes to establish negative determinants that often dismantle civil rights through political influence. It is diametrically opposed to liberation and serves as an imminent threat to our nation state. We will explore how human rights have been defended throughout history, the significance of its effects and military mobilization that produces negative consequences and conflict in our quest to seek social sovereignty.

Speaker: TSU, Dr. James Douglas, Michael Adams, KC Morrison, Carroll Robinson, Professors at Thurgood Marshall School of Law

Perceptions of Race in the Age of Obama – Virtual 4/8/2025

Over the years, race relations have been strenuous particularly during times of political transition. Parallel to the powershifts was an increase of racial tension that spawned aggressive acts throughout our nation. The Obama presidency, through a slow deterioration of antics and efforts to marginalize communities, capsized due to the political environment created by nationalists’ rhetoric to further racial division. During this virtual class, we will examine rapid social change, how the toxic political climate influenced behavior and how it insighted hostility within our current political environment questioning equality today.

Speaker: TSU, Dr. James Douglas, Michael Adams, Carroll Robinson, Professors at Thurgood Marshall School of Law

Changing the Face of Civil Rights – Virtual 4/15/2025

During the virtual, professors will discuss civil rights over the course of U.S. history. In the United States, persons who either did not own property, enslaved or a women could not vote. Only free men or men who owned property could do so. This conversation will unpack information about the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendment, reconstruction, and segregation. What happened to the rights of African American? How did gains from the 50’s and 60’s become marginalized? What happened to the seed(s) of affirmative action having resulted in the regression of our civil rights today?

Class Rules (All Sessions will be virtual)

Be Authentic

Be Engaged

Bring your perspective.

Ask questions.

Have fun.

Change the community!

Class Attendance for Certification

To receive your certificate, you must not miss more than 3 classes. For those that miss more than 3 classes or are not looking for certification are more than welcome to attend any of the other sessions to participate. CSJE Internship Advocacy resources become engaged in the work will be provided at the completion of this series.