Political Advocacy Without a Choice: Highlighting African American Political Social Workers

Course overview

This course highlights the political action and leadership of early African American social workers and their work challenging discrimination and injustice while advocating for systemic change.  Authors Donisha Shepherd and Suzanne Pritzer offer a social work history that moves beyond the Hull House and includes the important and sometimes overlooked contributions of social workers like Ida B. Wells-Barnett, Victoria Earle Matthews, Thyra Edwards, Lester Blackwell Granger, and more.  The course uses Lane and Pritzkers five domains of political social work practice as a framework for understanding the different domains of political advocacy.  The course also includes the NASW 2021 Blueprint of Federal and Social Policy Priorities, which outlines current policy priorities and solutions for national leaders.  Priorities such as high quality healthcare for all, ending homelessness, eliminating racism, reforming immigration policy, and advancing political justice are given.