Engaging Social Workers in Activism

From the unprecedented number of people around the world who took to the streets to protest in solidarity with the Women’s March on Washington to the energized youth who led the March for Our Lives demanding an end to gun violence, more people, especially social workers, are finding their voices and discovering meaningful ways to shape policy and influence politics.

“We can sit and wonder what will happen or we can look for opportunities to make things happen,” said Charles E. Lewis Jr., founder and president of the Congressional Research Institute for Social Work and Policy External link  (CRISP) and an adjunct professor for the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work’s online Doctor of Social Work program. “We all have a chance to help protect democracy and improve our country.”

Social workers’ unique experiences provide them with an understanding of what is happening among disadvantaged populations, enabling them to identify what residents need and how to address those needs.

The 12 Grand Challenges for Social Work, developed by the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare, offer a number of arenas in which social workers can help make a difference through advocacy, political activism, public education and policy development.

To learn more about the important role that social workers play in advocacy and the organizations that are leading the charge to address these challenges, you can read the blog post HERE