Social Justice Training for You and Your Team

This course is based on the Justice and Equity 101 trainings that I've given in person for many years now, online with new upgrades. It's designed to help you examine the relationship between identity and power, understand how oppression plays out historically and currently, and find your role in building a more just world.

Watch the video to learn more >>>

Meet Your Instructor!

Instructor | Facilitator

Mia Henry

Mia Henry (she|her) is a nationally-recognized trainer, facilitator, and leadership coach. She is the CEO of Freedom Lifted, a company that provides trainings for organizations grounded in justice and equity. Previously, Mia was a founding director of the Chicago Freedom School and the executive director of the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership. She has degrees from Rutgers University and the University of Pennsylvania, as well as knowledge passed down from beloved family members and ancestors, extensive travel, and collaborative relationships with communities across the US.

What You Can Expect

  • Time Commitment

    3 - 4 hours total. Take at your own pace.

  • Video Lessons

    Enjoy short, recorded video lessons that break down content in accessible chunks, yet pose thought-provoking questions.

  • Templates and Resources

    Get access to an extensive lists of resources to extend your learning. Download activity templates that help you personalize the frameworks to your context.

  • Discussion

    Share ideas and resources with other participants in the discussion forums.

  • Instructor Support

    Chat with Mia in Zoom office hours offered twice a month. Schedule a live session with your group. Reach out via email anytime!

  • Closed Captioning

    All videos include closed captioning to support accessibility.

Course Curriculum

  • 1

    Welcome to Justice at Work!

    • Welcome from the Instructor

    • How to Use This Course

    • Guiding Beliefs and Course Objectives

    • Land Acknowledgement

    • Before we begin...

  • 2

    Chapter 1: Connecting Identity + Power

    • Introduction

    • TEMPLATE: Create Your Power Flower

    • REFLECTION: On Identity

    • Social Identity

    • DISCUSSION: What is Power?

    • Social Power

    • RESOURCE: What Is Intersectionality?

    • QUICK QUIZ: Identity + Power

  • 3

    Chapter 2: Understanding Oppression Part 1

    • Five Faces of Oppression: Why Diversity Is Not Enough

    • WORKBOOK: Justice at Work Community Analysis Workbook

    • Preparing Yourself for Difficult Content

    • Exploitation

    • Marginalization

    • Powerlessness

    • On Paulo Freire: Extended Interview and Resources

    • QUICK QUIZ: Understanding Oppression Part 1

  • 4

    Chapter 3: Understanding Oppression Part 2

    • Understanding Oppression, Part 2

    • Remember to Breathe

    • Cultural Dominance

    • Harm and Violence

    • RESOURCE: A Word on Microaggressions

    • RESOURCE: What is White Supremacy?

    • REFLECTION: How do we respond to oppression?

    • WORKSHEET: The Five Faces in Your Community

    • WORKSHEET: The Five Faces Impact

  • 5

    BONUS CHAPTER: Oppression in Higher Education

    • ARTICLE: White Institutional Presence: The Impact of Whiteness on Campus Climate

    • ARTICLE: Systemic Racism in Higher Education

  • 6

    BONUS CHAPTER: A Look at Kalamazoo College

    • BOOK: Reckoning: Kalamazoo College Uncovers Its Racial and Colonial Past by Anne Dueweke

  • 7

    Chapter 4: Working for Justice, Part 1: Resistance

    • DISCUSSION: What is the difference between resistance and solidarity?

    • Six Ways We Resist

    • Escape

    • Revolt

    • Petition and Protest

    • Achievement and Success

    • Community Building

    • Defiance

    • QUICK QUIZ: Resistance in Review

    • WORKSHEET: Resistance in Your Community

  • 8

    Chapter 5: Working for Justice, Part 2: Solidarity

    • What Does Solidarity Look Like?

    • WORKSHEET: Solidarity Actions in Your Community

    • Solidarity Actions You Can Take

    • WORKSHEET: Personal Solidarity Commitments

    • WORKSHEET: Collective Solidarity Commitments

  • 9

    BONUS CHAPTER: Social Justice in Higher Education

    • ESSAY: Language of Appeasement

    • RESOURCE LIST: Social Justice in Higher Ed

    • ARTICLE: Everyday Practices of Social Justice in Higher Education

    • ARTICLE: Anti-Racism in Higher Education: A Model for Change

  • 10

    What's Next?

    • Congrats and Thank You!

    • RESOURCE LIST: Justice and Equity in the Workplace

    • WORKSHEET: Reflection

    • FULL WORKBOOK: Justice at Work Community Analysis Workbook

    • What's Next?

    • Before you go...

What leaders are saying

"Just the right frame for us"

Jen Hsu-Bishop, Chief Equity Officer

Our team had been looking for a foundational equity, diversity, and inclusion training for almost a year. We found other EDI-related trainings to often be surface-level and prescriptive. We wanted to go deeper with a learning tool that would offer a critical examination of power along with tools for practical application. We found that Justice at Work provided just the right frame for us. It offers a balance of introductory concepts, self-reflection, intersectional examination of power, and tools for organizational change. Our entire staff is taking the training and deeply appreciating it. This content is one of the key tools informing our next strategic steps in each department and across our entire organization.

"The asynchronous and synchronous learning worked well for our busy staff"

Jennifer Morales, Family Values @Work

I organized our staff to take “Justice at Work,” with a goal of gaining a shared vocabulary around oppression, resistance, and liberation, and of deepening our staff conversation about justice. The “Justice at Work” curriculum did just that. We paired the course with staff trios—small groups that met three times in between lessons to share their “homework” and insights. Then we had a live session with Mia. The asynchronous and synchronous learning worked well for our busy staff. I heard so many comments from staff that they highly valued learning new frames for thinking about oppression and were very moved by the stories and hidden histories the curriculum provided. It was time very well spent!

"Now a standard part of our team onboarding."

Matt Schuster, Executive Director, Public Media Network

We have found the training to be approachable for people to have sometimes difficult conversations on power and oppression. The Justice at Work training is now a standard part of our team onboarding. Mia is an engaging presenter and facilitator. Don't miss this opportunity to start these conversations with your organization and team.

Certification

Justice at Work is recognized by Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) as Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP.

What Participants Are Saying about Justice at Work

5 star rating

Excellent information presented in a wonderful learning e...

Rae Jesequel

This course is presented in a thoughtful, inclusive, non-confrontational way. If you have felt frustrated or burned out with the world being so divided, this...

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This course is presented in a thoughtful, inclusive, non-confrontational way. If you have felt frustrated or burned out with the world being so divided, this is a good space to find some hope and community again. Talking about things like systemic racism, social justice, and privilege can be challenging and uncomfortable, to say the least. If you come with an attitude of curiosity and openness to learn, you will find connection and kindness here, as well as education and insight into yourself and others. This course is useful for people who are new to social justice work, as well as people who have been involved for a long time. Highly recommend!

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5 star rating

Accessible and warm

Jordan Byrd-Gentile

Mia's style is approachable and warm. The information she brought was accessible and thought-provoking.

Mia's style is approachable and warm. The information she brought was accessible and thought-provoking.

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5 star rating

Justice at Work is a powerful and brilliant tool

Coral Feigin

Justice at Work is an excellent, accessible and thoughtful tool for understanding our relationships to power and oppression as well as how we transform the c...

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Justice at Work is an excellent, accessible and thoughtful tool for understanding our relationships to power and oppression as well as how we transform the conditions of oppression through resistance and solidarity. Can't recommend enough!

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5 star rating

Incredible resource for our small nonprofit

Isaac Graves

The entire team at Social Venture Circle, a 34-year-old nonprofit seeking to build the NEXT economy, one that is regenerative, just, and prosperous for all, ...

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The entire team at Social Venture Circle, a 34-year-old nonprofit seeking to build the NEXT economy, one that is regenerative, just, and prosperous for all, took this course and we highly recommend it for organizations of all sizes, but especially those with deep commitments but budgets that can’t quite afford mid-5 to 6-figure trainings but are still looking for high quality educational opportunities. Mia Henry is a tremendous teacher, and you’ll be engaged throughout. Thank you Freedom Lifted!

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5 star rating

An Essential Course!

Amy Nykamp

Mia Henry has assembled a tremendous amount of material, shown in video as well as links to worksheets, scholarly papers, blogs, books, and other resources, ...

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Mia Henry has assembled a tremendous amount of material, shown in video as well as links to worksheets, scholarly papers, blogs, books, and other resources, all designed to have you actively participate while learning. The course forces you to reexamine your own biases as well as paying attention to what actions you can take to make changes individually and as a community.

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5 star rating

A well constructed, self-paced course

Kristine Gibson

This is a well constructed, self-paced course that is designed to allow time and space for reflection and developing next steps on the journey toward equity ...

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This is a well constructed, self-paced course that is designed to allow time and space for reflection and developing next steps on the journey toward equity and social justice. I appreciated the definitions provided in the course and a structure to recognize the different ways those in power oppress, methods of resistance and how one can be an active ally in support of those who are the targets in inequity.

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5 star rating

A thorough, thoughtful, and action provoking course

Leigh Ann Erickson

Taking this course is critical. Each section is laid out clearly and concisely, and contains action items that can be applied to whatever space you are work...

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Taking this course is critical. Each section is laid out clearly and concisely, and contains action items that can be applied to whatever space you are working in to end white supremacy. Mia thoughtfully and masterfully pairs historical and present forms of oppression and resistance with application and action steps. She connects all the dots. It is clear she is an expert, and I highly recommend learning from her, so that you can do this important work in the spaces you are in.

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5 star rating

Continuous learning

Leighann Wood

I have gone through this course three times and I could take it 30 more times and still learn something new and incredibly important. With each completion I ...

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I have gone through this course three times and I could take it 30 more times and still learn something new and incredibly important. With each completion I have found myself asking more questions and seeking more knowledge of how to reframe my perspective of navigating this world, and my perception of others' navigation in it as well. Let Mia's course be an inspiration for us all - when we know better, we do better.

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5 star rating

Broaden your mind and understanding about justice

Leslie Burke

Mia Henry does an excellent job of pulling in appropriate historical references for background, providing opportunities for self-reflection, and giving actio...

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Mia Henry does an excellent job of pulling in appropriate historical references for background, providing opportunities for self-reflection, and giving actionable information for the learner to change their understanding of our world today. Those who are seeking to understand what this "racism thing" is all about will benefit from this straightforward and clear explanation of the history, principles, and ideal responses required to create a more just world.

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5 star rating

Well done

Deborah Mauro

This course is straightforward, carefully constructed, and full of resources that I'll want to come back to in the future. Thank you for your hard work, Mia!

This course is straightforward, carefully constructed, and full of resources that I'll want to come back to in the future. Thank you for your hard work, Mia!

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5 star rating

Great course!

Philip McGough

I highly recommend this course. Mia is great, and I learned a lot.

I highly recommend this course. Mia is great, and I learned a lot.

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