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Community Empowerment through an Academic Product: Implications for the Social-justice Oriented Scholar

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Abstract

Often, African American community organizations are distanced from government institutional practices. In response, they may approach local academics to help bridge the divide. This think piece explores lessons that one academic scholar learned during the process of writing and distributing an applied report that ultimately helped a community organization to gain access to the governmental decision making process. In exploring the project, we first focus on the process and value of shifting from a charity orientation to a social justice orientation. Second, we use the report itself to provide examples of essential, concrete aspects of social justice-oriented products. In the end, we argue that academic scholars can contribute to community empowerment if (1) an asset rather than deficit orientation is employed and (2) scholars are viewed as community assets rather than institutional resources.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, Indiana University-Purdue University, 425 University Blvd., Cavanaugh Hall 301d, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA

    Tamara G. J. Leech

  2. MidNorth Public Safety Committee, Indianapolis, USA

    Edrose Potts Jr.

Authors
  1. Tamara G. J. Leech
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  2. Edrose Potts Jr.
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Correspondence to Tamara G. J. Leech.

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Leech, T.G.J., Potts, E. Community Empowerment through an Academic Product: Implications for the Social-justice Oriented Scholar. J Afr Am St 14, 75–86 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12111-009-9108-3

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