CWRU Social Justice Institute

05/13/2026

Please join the Social Justice Institute TOMORROW for Exploring Wrongful Convictions Through the Arts

**Free Event**

Thursday, May 14, 2026
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Martin Luther King, Jr. Branch
Cleveland Public Library
10601 Euclid Ave
Cleveland, OH 44106

This two-part evening opens with a preview of the 2026 Mandel Opera & Humanities Festival and its theme of Courage, led by two Cleveland Orchestra staff members: Jejuana C. Brown (Senior Director of Inclusion & Community Relations) and Joan Katz Napoli (Jane B. and Eric T. Nord Senior Vice President of Education and Community Programs).

Following this, a panel of local experts including Social Justice Institute Director, Ayesha Bell Hardaway, explore the intersection of courage, the arts, and wrongful convictions, with a specific focus on our Cleveland community.

To learn more about the event, please visit The Cleveland Orchestra website https://www.clevelandorchestra.com/events/community-conversation

04/21/2026

Now Accepting Applications for Social Justice Scholars Fall 2026!

The Social Justice Institute invites CWRU undergraduate students to apply to the Social Justice Scholars (SJS) reading group.

In Fall 2026, selected participants will be responsible for completing assigned readings and participating in each of the five sessions throughout the semester. In consideration of full participation, each Social Justice Scholar will receive a $250 award. Social Justice Scholars agree to be responsible for reading all of the assigned materials, and must attend ALL five discussion sessions. Fall participants can apply to continue as a Social Justice Scholar during the Spring semester (with an additional stipend). Our work in the Spring will build upon learning completed during the Fall semester.

There are a host of present-day societal inequities that deserve our attention and action. In devising a plan of action, it can be difficult to know where to begin. Generally, we know that coalition building and communal care are essential components of liberation. However, how to go about actualizing the work often remains elusive. This cohort of Social Justice Scholars is designed for selected scholars to examine historical liberatory efforts and then begin to explore how they may be relevant to present-day actions. Scholars sessions are led by Professor Ayesha Bell Hardaway. This academic year, SJ Scholars will be diving into Robin D. G. Kelley's Freedom Dreams: The Black Radical Imagination, Johanna Fernández's The Young Lords A Radical History, and excerpts from CWRU's own Don Freeman's Reflections of a Resolute Radical.

The five sessions will be held during the Community Hour (12:30pm to 2:00pm) on select Fridays during the semester. Dates TBD.

Applications for Fall 2026 are due by 5 pm on April 24, 2026. Apply at case.edu/socialjustice/scholars

04/13/2026

THIS THURSDAY!

"Community Conversations on Health, Science, and Technology in the Service of Justice" with Professor Lynette Hammond Gerido

Thursday, April 16, 2026
4:30 PM� - 5:30 PM
Case Western Reserve University
School of Law
11075 East Blvd
Cleveland, OH 44106

More information can be found at case.edu/socialjustice/upcoming

03/30/2026

Don't miss this event at the Law School on Thursday!

The 2026 Maya Angelou and Professor Calvin Sharpe Distinguished Lecture Black resistance to white supremacy is often reduced to a simple binary, betwe...

02/04/2026

On Saturday, February 7th from Noon - 2pm, the Social Justice Law Center and the Social Justice Institute at CWRU will host an event honoring the life and legacy of Tanisha Anderson and this week's passage of Tanisha's Law. This event will celebrate Tanisha's birthday (January 22, 1977) and thank those who worked tirelessly in support of Tanisha's family and Tanisha's Law. The event will take place at Case Western Reserve University Law School at 11075 East Boulevard, Cleveland, OH 44105. It is free and open to the public. Registration is requested. Please register at https://tinyurl.com/tanishalaw. We hope that you will join us for this celebration.

01/31/2026

Tanisha's Law is on the agenda for consideration at this upcoming Monday's Cleveland City Council Meeting (February 2nd, 7 pm). This law is designed to ensure that community members with mental health calls for service are met with care - not an armed - response. It is named to honor the legacy of Tanisha Anderson, killed during a mental health crisis on November 12, 2014. Please come out to support the Anderson family and all of the people that have worked tirelessly to make this legislation possible. The public comment portal is already closed for in-person comment, but you can still submit written comments at https://www.clevelandcitycouncil.gov/resources/public-comment

11/12/2025

Social Justice Institute's R & R (Research and Refreshment) lecture series returns!
What does it mean to engage in social justice related research?

Tuesday, November 18, 4:30 - 6:00pm
Moot Court Room, School of Law, 11075 East Blvd.

"Constitutional Rights vs. U.S. Bail System"
Alireza Nourani-Dargiri, JD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Social Justice Institute
Adjunct Professor, School of Law

Alireza Nourani-Dargiri's research focuses primarily on the intersection of race and law to provide insight into disparate consequences in legal systems. This talk will explore how the U.S. bail system impacts foundational constitutional rights. Please join us for a presentation that discusses how the current system violates various constitutional rights and has disparate impacts for minoritized groups, highlighting the need for comprehensive bail reform.

Light refreshments will be provided. There will be Q+A following the presentation.

10/07/2025

Free and Open to the Public! Join us on October 25th for Social Justice in the Arts! Read more about the event in our newsletter https://us12.campaign-archive.com/?u=d111bca599b7a8ef0f55f1463&id=48c91c89b8

Registration link here https://forms.gle/NQzKWJu5ZmP83QYX7

09/16/2025

Join us this Saturday, September 20th at the Greater Cleveland Urban Film Festival for a FREE EVENT featuring two short films followed by a moderated conversation by SJI's Director, Professor Ayesha Bell Hardaway. For more information visit the GCUFF website at https://www.gcuff.org/festival

08/19/2025

Don't forget to join us Saturday, August 23rd at 1 pm at the new MLK Library! Please register for this free event at cpl.org/at-the-table

Please join SJI, Cleveland Public Library, and the Presidents' Council on Saturday, August 23rd at 1 pm at the new MLK Library for an afternoon conversation with Aundra Willis Carrasco. She will discuss her book about her brother's legacy. Please register for this free event at cpl.org/at-the-table

08/18/2025

Interested in the Social Justice Institute? Stop by the Kelvin Smith Library today before 3:30 pm!