NYSUT 2024 Social Justice Academy graduates nine new locals

n an unassuming brick building along the outskirts of Albany’s downtown, a team of NYSUT members were hard at work. The group, the 2024 cohort of the NYSUT Social Justice Academy, painted walls, sorted books, raked lawns and unloaded supplies to help prepare the South End Children’s Cafe for a fall opening at its newly purchased site, the former home of a local church.

“We always want to have a hands-on service component to this work and the stars really aligned with the timing of the cafe’s move,” said NYSUT Secretary-Treasurer J. Philippe Abraham, who heads the SJA and pitched in cleaning windows during the group’s visit.

Established in 2015, the South End Children’s Cafe provides free daily dinners and after-school enrichment year-round to more than 100 area children. “The cafe does great work, and we always want to support them when we can.”

Grounded in NYSUT’s belief that social justice lies at the heart of unionism, the NYSUT Social Justice Academy launched last year with five locals, educating them about social justice issues and helping them raise awareness and advocate for change in their communities. The goal is for participants to form a local social justice or civil and human rights committee and leave with a concrete plan to increase awareness and activism within their schools, locals and communities. Grant funding to help with implementation is available.

“You are out using your union power for good in the least selfless way ever,” said NYSUT President Melinda Person, who saluted members for dedicating a summer week to social justice work and thanked Abraham for his leadership. Educators help safeguard our democracy by teaching critical thinking and history, and fostering civic discourse, continued Person.

“The work of pursuing justice won’t be done in our lifetime … we are doing what we can to make things better and our students will pick up the torch.”

The 2024 Social Justice Academy welcomed nine locals for March and July training sessions: the Troy Teachers Association, Rome TA, Elmira TA, Niagara Wheatfield TA, New Rochelle Federation of United School Employees, Yonkers Federation of Teachers, Valley Central TA, Ithaca TA and the Albany Public School TA. Ten NYSUT Civil and Human Rights Steering Committee members, trained in implicit bias leadership, served as team advisors. During the spring and fall sessions locals set goals and a budget for community initiatives and learn about different aspects of social justice work, including community engagement, recruitment and team building, racial justice, and the intersection between poverty, LGBTQ and gender issues. At the academy’s conclusion, locals presented plans for future social justice initiatives.

Representatives from three of the academy’s founding locals, the Solvay TA, Tri Valley TA and Brentwood TA, returned to detail their progress over the past year. Wins included marching in local pride parades, hosting student voter registration drives, distributing welcome baskets to new district families and creating a buddy program for incoming English language learner students.

Abraham encouraged participants to delegate responsibilities and use the July session to source social justice project ideas from other locals. “There is no reason to reinvent the wheel when doing this work … don’t hesitate to reach out to my office for assistance or to your fellow SJA colleagues for ideas.”

For information about the union’s social justice initiatives or the 2025 NYSUT Social Justice Academy, visit nysut.org/socialjustice.