Running head: FIVE SOCIAL JUSTICE LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES 1

Five Social Justice Leadership Principles

Fernando Villalpando

California State University, San Bernardino

EDUC 709

March 21, 2017

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Five Social Justice Leadership Principles

Through the critical analysis of each of the readings, discussions, and reflections during

the length of class, it is important to recognize how each added to the better understanding

diversity and equity in education. After careful analysis, the following five principles were

created to addressed social justice leadership.

1. Social Justice Leadership in Higher Education: I truly believe that in order to truly be

social justices leaders, we have to not only try to understand the issues and be aware

of them, we have to commit and act on those issues. As true leaders and agents of

change, we cannot just discuss the issues that our students and our community face,

and not do anything about them or wait for others to get started. If we want to see

change for the improvement of true social justice in our community and for our

students, we are the ones who have to act and lead the way for those do not know

how to get started. We have to live and breathe what we believe, and not just leave it

as a topic of conversation.

As discussed by Theoharis (2007), it is truly a quality of a school principal, or in my view,

any social justice leader in the K-23 spectrum, to demand social justice for all students, hold

students accountable to be leaders themselves, not settle for mediocracy, and have high

expectations for all of them. If we have different expectations for different students based on

their historical performance, we are already failing as social justice leaders.

2. Challenge Racism with Education: The best cure for a society that thrives in racism

and bigotry is education. Education and educational leaders are the key component to

create a true change and impact in society. The challenged in from of social justice

and educational leaders is to reach to all of those who have never been exposed to
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others cultures and issues, and only look at what is normal to them. We cannot

accept normalization of racism and colonialism just because that is what the dominant

culture only knows.

Through the Critical Race Theory lens we can see how important it is to take on race issues

with importance that it requires. Alemn (2007) and Ledesma (2013) make an excellent point at

demonstrating how race, sexual orientation, disabilities, or immigration status can be seen

through a different and more understanding lens to better help specific student populations or

groups.

3. Deficit Language Not to be Normal for Any Students: Students, and people overall,

who take part and accept deficit language are not contributing to create a society

based on social justice. Also by accepting them makes microaggressions acceptable

to continue and grow even bigger and unchallenged. I would challenge the use of

phrases and words such as at-risk or illegals. These words naturally place

students into a second class citizen status and even criminalizes them. Students who

are considered at-risk are truly at-opportunity to grow even more and apply their

skills into the improvement of society. Students who are undocumented are not

illegals just because they do not have the lawful requirements at the time, but will

contribute even more in the long run if given the right support.

Bonilla-Silva (2006) and Olivas (2012) talk to the issues of this deficit language and the

treatment of students of different races and undocumented students. We can definitely fight

racism by being aware of the issues of the past, and how policy and social justice can make leaps

forwards to have a better understanding and representation of what our students go through in

schools that are not ready for them.

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4. Challenge Educational Imperialism and Colonialism: One size does not fit all,

especially in a society as diverse as ours. We cannot accept anymore that there only

one right history, way to teaching and learning, and not value the contributions of

other cultures that are as rich as any. We need to be willing to learn from each other

and understand other perspectives. This will only enrich us with a better

understanding of everyone in our society and around the world. We cannot accept

anymore that there is only one right way to see and understand what is true.

Castagno (2012), McKinley J. B. (2006), and Patel (2015) speak to these issues. It is

important to our society in order to improve our social welfare and understanding of other to

appreciate and accept that other cultures have other perspectives that are true to them. These

cultures have existed for centuries and have survived through their understanding of the world.

The dominant culture cannot come in anymore, and should not, to try to tell anyone what is good

and what is bad, what is true and what is not. It is imperative that we all take a step back and

appreciate how we call all enrich and learn from good and open dialogue that will allow us to

learn from each other.

5. Expect Excellence for All Stakeholder is Essential to Social Justice: Success does not

come in with mediocre expectations. We all need to create a force of high

expectations for our students. We need to create networks of success and support for

our students in order to move forward, create change, transform, and accomplish

social justice.

Both Rodrguez (2015) and Delgado Bernal & Alemn (2016) speak to the changes

needed to have a better opportunity at creating change and transforming the educational pathway

for our students and society overall. By creating networks of support in which we will take
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advantage of our communities and their richness, we will be able to lift up our communities from

the ashes. This applies to our local community that is seem as anything less than a broken city.

We need to create circles of support and expectations of success for all of our students regardless

of background.
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References

Bonilla-Silva, E. (2013). Racism without racists: Color-blind racism and the persistence of
racial inequality in the United States. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
Castagno, A. (2012). "They Prepared Me to Be a Teacher, But Not a Culturally Responsive
Navajo Teacher for Navajo Kids": A Tribal Critical Race Theory Analysis of an

Indigenous Teacher Preparation Program. Journal of American Indian Education, 51(1),

3-21.
Delgado Bernal, D. & Aleman, E. (2016). Transforming educational pathways for Chicana/o
students: A critical race feminista praxis. Teachers College Press.
Lesdesma, M. (2013). Revisiting Grutter and Graz in the Wake of Fisher: Looking Back to
Move Forward. Equity & Excellence in Education, 46:2, 220-253.
McKinley Jones Bradboy, B. (2006). Toward a Tribal Critical Race Theory in Education. The
Urban Review. 37:5, 425-442.
Olivas, M. A. (2012) No Undocumented Child Left Behind: Plyler V. Doe and the Education of
Undocumented Schoolchildren. NYU Press.
Patel, L. (2015). Deservingness: Challenging Coloniality in Education and Migration
Scholarship. Association of Mexican-American Educators. 9:3, 11-19.
Rodriguez, L., F. (2015). Intentional excellence: The pedagogy, power, and politics of excellence
in Latina/o schools and communities. Peter Lang Inc.
Theoharis, G. (2007). Social Justice Educational Leaders and Resistance: Toward a Theory of

Social Justice Leadership. Educational Administration Quarterly. 43:2, 221-258.