Social Justice League carves its campus niche

ter a summer of promotion and planning, the Social Justice League, a new student group on campus designed to promote awareness of global injustice, is well on its way to becoming a full-fledged organization. \nThe group, partly developed by Director of Diversity Education Eric Love, plans to educate and train students in social activism and leadership while working in the context of current global issues and how they affect minorities. \nThe Social Justice League is unique in its endeavors because it is one of the only campus groups to focus on what's going on in the world and to educate IU students about world issues and solutions to those issues. The group plans to hold forums and events and to sponsor speakers to educate Hoosiers about activism and reducing the marginalization of certain minority groups. \n"Oftentimes we think about social injustice with people of color," Love said in an interview this summer. "My idea is to bring the people from a lot of different groups, putting aside animosity, and work together to change the social problems that we have." \nLove currently acts as a consultant and resource for students and faculty by providing ongoing programming aimed at getting students more involved in diversity education. He has been active with the budding league since this summer and helped spark some potential members' interests. \nJaimie Oakden, IU alumna and co-owner of Buffa Louie's at the Gables, met Love after finishing her work through IU's Council for Advancing Student Leadership. Oakden is planning to act as a community participant in the group and will focus on the leadership perspective the group is taking.\n"I'm not as interested in the actual issues but more the leadership development and the process of growing and going in the community," Oakden said. \nThis growing process is still in the beginning stages for the Social Justice League, as the group is just starting to establish its constitution and officer positions. \n"I think it's difficult for any new organization to get started, and I would like to see them successfully determine their mission and goals and a strong supportive base," Oakden said. "They need to get people on the same page for the same reason." \nJunior Shane Whittington, president of the Social Justice League, knows that the group still needs to establish itself, but he said that through call-out meetings and officer applications, the group is slowly making a place for itself on campus.\n"We're spreading slowly, but it's coming around," Whittington said. "You have to be patient, but it's definitely a need, and it's going to take time. The Social Justice League is definitely getting out there."\nEventually, Whittington hopes the Social Justice League will act as a connection between other student-run organizations by helping them plan and promote their events, and as a result, bring students together. Whittington has been meeting with other student leaders to spread word of the league's mission and said he has been hearing positive feedback.\n"It's hard starting an organization from scratch because you have to get people enthusiastic about it, which a lot of people are when I tell them about it," Whittington said.\nOakden is confident they will be ready to make a difference on campus soon. \n"That's where they're at right now," Oakden said. "As a team they will decide what the next step will be"