Center for Social Justice Receives $249,956 Grant

The Center for Social Justice received an 18‐month $249,956 grant from The California Endowment (TCE) to
address two TCE initiatives, Boys and Men of Color and Health4All.

The Center launched last April as a collaboration with Bakersfield College to identify community-based participatory research projects that could provide data to help the improve quality of life and life outcomes for at-risk and vulnerable populations. The grant will fund research aimed to improve health equity and school climate for boys and young men of color in South Kern County; heighten Kern county decision‐makers’ awareness of the school‐to- prison pipeline for boys and young men of color; and provide leadership training to community action teams to advocate for and affect policy change in healthcare and education for this population.

Co‐directors of the Center for Social Justice are Dr. Mark Martinez, Department Chair and Professor of Political Science, and Dr. Bruce Friedman, Professor of Social Work. Bruce also is co‐editor of the recently published book, Public Health, Social Work and Health Inequalities, a collection of 15 studies and policy reviews that explore the role of social work in positive change.