Seeking Participants for Social Justice Dialogue Cohort Experiences
Faculty, staff and students: apply for SJDCE today!
The Social Justice Dialogues Cohort Experience (SJDCE) at UMBC invites participants from all perspectives and experiences to engage in meaningful conversations across difference. Rooted in intergroup dialogue theory, SJDCE provides a space to learn and practice the skills, tools, and mindsets necessary for effective communication across diverse identities and lived experiences — with courage, empathy, and openness.
The Social Justice Dialogue Cohort Experiences at UMBC are 8 two-hour dialogue circles that bring together students, faculty, and staff, to engage in sustained, facilitated dialogue across difference. Each cohort meets weekly within one of UMBC's vibrant cultural centers: The Mosaic, The Pride Center, and The Gathering Space.
In a time of growing polarization and deepening social divides, and fear surrounding living authentically, the Social Justice Dialogues Cohort Experience (SJDCE) offers a way forward, not through debate or persuasion, but through connection, listening, and shared learning.
Cohorts will be split between faculty/staff and students (both undergraduate and graduate), allowing participants to forge meaningful relationships with peers similarly passionate about social change, leadership and humanizing pedagogies.
Students interested in applying for the pilot program can do so here. Additionally, faculty and staff can nominate students by emailing csjdialogue@umbc.edu by March 10.
Faculty and staff can apply here. Applications are due by March 12.
This is a pilot that is a part of a larger research project, meaning cohort sizes are limited and the 2026 sessions will be used to collect data for assessment purposes.
These events are open for full participation by all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other protected category under applicable federal law, state law, and the University's nondiscrimination policy.
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The Social Justice Dialogues Cohort Experience (SJDCE) at UMBC invites participants from all perspectives and experiences to engage in meaningful conversations across difference. Rooted in...
Flyer
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Center for Social Justice Dialogue
https://dev.my.umbc.edu/groups/csjd
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Center for Social Justice Dialogue
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Black and teal text over a beige background, surrounded by an icon of speech bubbles and the Center for Social Justice Dialogue logo: "SOCIAL JUSTICE DIALOGUES"
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Tue, 03 Mar 2026 11:42:33 -0500
REPOST: Announcing Critical Social Justice Week!
A whole month of inspiring, exciting programming!
Reposting from our friends at the Women's Gender, & Equity Center! The Center for Social Justice Dialogue is excited to collaborate on such meaningful events.
Critical Social Justice (CSJ) Week is a campus-wide initiative dedicated to deepening our collective understanding of equity, inclusion, and community care. Through panels, workshops, and creative programming, CSJ Week invites students, staff, and faculty to engage in meaningful conversations about justice and belonging within and beyond the university.
Critical social justice has a history in the Women's, Gender, & Equity Center, and we are excited to bring back this work now within the Community & Culture unit in the Division of Institutional Equity.
All events are open for participation from students (grad and undergrad), staff, and faculty!
The events apart of Critical Social Justice Week are as follows:
Cup-Filling Activism: Supporting Student Organizers Through Community, Care, and Capacity Building
McNair x Critical Social Justice Week
Saturday, February 7, 2026 · 1 - 2:30 PM
Sondheim Hall: 101
Racial Healing Discussion Panel
Wednesday, February 11, 2026 · 3 - 5 PM
Library and Gallery, Albin O. Kuhn
Connecting Community Leadership & Social Justice
Friday, February 20th · 12 - 1 PM
Virtual
On Caring for Community
The Pursuit of Equity and Justice at UMBC with University Leadership
Tuesday, February 24, 2026 · 4:30-6 PM
SKYLIGHT in the Commons
Chat and Chew: All About Love
Read with us and engage in discussion
Wednesday, February 25, 2026 · 12 - 1 PM
Library and Gallery, Albin O. Kuhn
More details about each event can be found on the WGEC or CSJD myUMBC Page.
These event is open for full participation by all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other protected category under applicable federal law, state law, and the University's nondiscrimination policy.
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Reposting from our friends at the Women's Gender, & Equity Center! The Center for Social Justice Dialogue is excited to collaborate on such meaningful events. Critical Social Justice (CSJ)...
Flyer
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discussion
diversity
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Center for Social Justice Dialogue
https://dev.my.umbc.edu/groups/csjd
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Center for Social Justice Dialogue
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The top half of a flyer for Critical Social Justice Week. For a PDF of the flyer, see this post's attachments.
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Wed, 11 Feb 2026 13:05:31 -0500
Highlights from InterACT Fall 2025
Featuring a blog post by facilitator Kayla Tabernero!
This semester, the Center for Social Justice Dialogue had the pleasure of reintroducing the InterACT dialogue program to campus. Here are some highlights:
- 100% of participants agreed that participating in InterACT made them more inclusive leaders and engaged community members
- One respondent remarked that the techniques taught and practiced throughout InterACT "are very applicable to a wide range of scenarios and came in a time that I wanted info on how to respond in a calm manner"
- All respondents indicated that it was likely that they would recommend InterACT to first-year students and student leaders on campus. As one participant put it: "I had an absolutely wonderful experience in InterACT and it was a joy to be there each week [...] It was wonderful and I learned a lot."
- InterACT challenges its participants to develop essential dialogue skills through the evolvement of critical self-awareness, empathetic listening, authentic sharing, and adaptive communication. Another participant elaborated upon this in our post-survey, saying: "I really liked the value statement activity in session 2, because I learned a lot about what I stand for and what I was willing to sacrifice by forcing myself to choose a side."
Continue reading for a thoughtful reflection written by InterACT facilitator and CSJD Intern Kayla Tabernero!
Facilitating dialogues through InterACT was a profoundly rewarding experience that challenged and expanded the way I approach communication, empathy, and leadership. Through each session, I witnessed the quiet yet powerful impact of intentional listening—what we often called "generous listening." Hearing others share their stories and reflections on identity, privilege, and social justice allowed me to see how dialogue can serve as both a mirror and a bridge: a mirror that reflects our own biases and growth, and a bridge that connects us across lived experiences.
One of my favorite moments was during the generous listening activity, where participants explored the difference between "good" and "bad" listening through a short series of role-playing exercises. Watching students step out of their comfort zones, laugh, reflect, and learn together reminded me that vulnerability and curiosity are often the first steps toward genuine understanding. It was deeply moving to see how quickly strangers could become collaborators in empathy.
The most challenging part of facilitating was finding the balance between stepping in to guide a conversation and stepping back to let participants discover meaning on their own. Learning when to intervene and when to simply observe was a delicate process, one that taught me patience and trust in the group's collective rhythm. Working alongside Anelsy made that process far more fluid; our partnership created a sense of balance and support that carried the sessions forward with warmth and confidence.
Ultimately, InterACT reaffirmed for me that dialogue is not about having answers, it's about creating the space where transformation quietly begins.
Join us in The Mosaic (Commons 2b23) biweekly on Thursdays 3:00pm - 4:30pm for SistaCare!
"Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare."
SistaCare is a community-care and dialogue group that explores the ways undergraduate and graduate students who identify as Black/Africana women and femmes, regardless of their gender expression, experience campus communities. Weekly sessions will explore experience, impact, and connection and are open to all individuals regardless of their sex, gender, race, ethnicity, or national origin. Come to learn, share, and connect!
This semester's sessions are as follows:
9/25: Kickoff: Who are We?
(RSVP here)
10/9: Representation and Socialization
10/23: Intersecting Identities and Intersectionality
11/6: Bodies + Body Politics - All Shapes and Sizes
12/4: Skin + Hair and the Spectrums of Color and Texture
12/18: Radical Care and Reflection
To request accommodation(s) or to inquire about event accessibility, please get in touch with us via email, csjdialogue.umbc.edu, with "Sistacare" in the subject line. All sessions are open for full participation by all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other protected category under applicable federal law, state law, and the University's nondiscrimination policy.
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Join us in The Mosaic (Commons 2b23) biweekly on Thursdays 3:00pm - 4:30pm for SistaCare! "Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political...
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Center for Social Justice Dialogue
https://dev.my.umbc.edu/groups/csjd
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Center for Social Justice Dialogue
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A brown background with images overlayed onto it. At the bottom half of the image, there are six diverse feminine figures, and at the top half, there is a large, stylized image of a woman's upper face and afro puffs. In addition, there is large, white text in a fun, "groovy" font: "SistaCare".
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Tue, 16 Sep 2025 09:33:13 -0400
Tue, 16 Sep 2025 10:54:28 -0400
REPOST: Summer Book Club: Truth and Repair
A Women's, Gender, & Equity Center Program
Our friends at the Women's Gender, & Equity Center are also hosting a summer book club! See the details below, and find the original post here:
Summer is the perfect time to crack open a new feminist book--but feminist books pair best with feminist conversation. Join the Women's, Gender, & Equity Center this summer for our annual Summer Book Club to discuss our chosen book in community!
"Truth and Repair: How Trauma Survivors Envision Justice" by Judith Herman - Pioneering trauma expert Judith Herman redefines justice from the perspective of survivors, emphasizing healing, accountability, and the need for community-based responses beyond punitive systems. It centers the voices of those often ignored in traditional legal frameworks.
Book club meetings will take place virtually and in-person at the WGEC Lounge (Commons 004) simultaneously. Each meeting will discuss one part of the book as outlined below. Copies of the book are available to read in the Women's, Gender, & Equity Center.
Part 1 Chapters 1-3: Power - June 26, 1-2pm
Part 2 Chapters 4-6: Vision - July 17, 1-2pm
Part 3 Chapters 7-9 Healing - August 7, 1-2pm
This book club is open for full participation by all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other protected category under applicable federal law, state law, and the University's nondiscrimination policy.