Communication Studies and Social Justice

Abstract

In 1996, a group of communication scholars from Loyola University Chicago called on colleagues across the discipline to expand and apply existing methods, theories, and pedagogical practices in ways that were more inclusive of all people and their lived economic, social, and cultural experiences. The Loyola scholars desired a discipline that is entrenched in the work of social justice. Subsequently, since 1996, there has been a steady increase of journal articles and special issues, books and book series, keynote addresses, and courses dedicated to social justice and activism. This book chapter traces that 25-year history up to modern-day call outs by communication scholars, many of them people of color, asking colleagues to make further systemic changes in the discipline and professional organizations. Additionally, the author will speak to her own social justice journey and the impact of 2020 as a Year of Racial Reckoning within the United States. The chapter ends with advice to both communication practitioners and scholars on moving forward with a clear, unwavering personal and professional commitment to social justice.