Lilian Milanes
William Paterson University
Community & Social Justice Studies
This course examines the tactics and strategies of social action and practical dimensions of how communities organize to effect change. Topics include the nature of community organizing, student activism and protest, cultural and historical models, issue identification, leadership development, approaches to social power, campaign planning and implementation, and the relationship of community organizing to other forms of social action. This course is an action-oriented, solutions-based course on community activism and will help students develop a critical understanding of public issues, policy development, and community change through action and reflection. Over the course of the semester, students in this course will engage with various layers of community organizing to design and implement a social action campaign on an issue of their choosing. This is a UCC-Civic Engagement course.
Fall 2025
I am especially interested in being a part of this course development program in order to be able to connect students, in real time, with real world issues. Connecting the theory with practice (or praxis), and connecting academia with local communities and issues. I believe such experiential learning opportunities help invigorate and re-energize entire both students and instructors.
Within my university the closest element of social action I have taught is through a course called “Anthropology of Social Movements”. The final assignment for this course is a Letter Writing Activity whereby students are to choose a social movement topic that interests them, interview someone (an activist/participant) within or surrounding that social movement, and then they produce a letter addressed to a local official or an op-ed style letter.
Potential policy issues students might choose to address include: food insecurity, climate issues (ex. access to clean water), housing insecurity, racial justice, policing, health equity, gender and sexuality, migration, disability rights, gun control, domestic violence, and more.
I heard from a colleague, Danielle Wallace, who participated in previous institutes.
New Jersey
Taught By:
Lilian Milanes
Community & Social Justice Studies
William Paterson University
Read profile here.
Course Description:
This course examines the tactics and strategies of social action and practical dimensions of how communities organize to effect change. Topics include the nature of community organizing, student activism and protest, cultural and historical models, issue identification, leadership development, approaches to social power, campaign planning and implementation, and the relationship of community organizing to other forms of social action. This course is an action-oriented, solutions-based course on community activism and will help students develop a critical understanding of public issues, policy development, and community change through action and reflection. Over the course of the semester, students in this course will engage with various layers of community organizing to design and implement a social action campaign on an issue of their choosing. This is a UCC-Civic Engagement course.
