From social justice to abolition: living up to social work’s grand challenge of eliminating racism
Published May 2, 2022 in the Journal of Ethnic & Cultural Diversity in Social Work
How can social work live up to the 13th Grand Challenge of Eliminating Racism? In this article we argue for the replacement of the predominant social justice paradigm with a framework for anti-racist social work praxis informed by abolitionist principles. The primary aim of anti-racist social work praxis needs to be the building of power in Black, Indigenous, or Brown and poor communities. We define additional praxis principles, including engaging with critical theories, advancing macro-approaches, targeting racism at the source, and developing interventions to eliminate and address the effects of racism. We end by sharing concrete anti-racist praxis tools.
Authors: Kristen Brock-Petroshius, Dominique Mikell, Durrell Malik Washington Sr. & Kirk James
Access the article here.