Workshop Title: Social Justice Policy and Advocacy in the U.S.
Mini-Lesson: Understanding Social Justice Policy & Advocacy
Objective:
Participants will explore how social justice policies and advocacy efforts have shaped U.S. history by analyzing public domain texts. They will examine the rhetorical and persuasive strategies used in these works and apply similar techniques in their own writing.
Discussion Points:

1. What is social justice policy? (laws, reforms, and government actions addressing systemic inequities)
2. What is advocacy? (public support for or recommendation of a cause, often through speeches, writing, and activism)
3. What rhetorical strategies do social justice advocates use in their writings? (appeals to ethos, pathos, logos; persuasive techniques)

Reading Selections (Public Domain Works)
Participants will read excerpts from these historical texts:

1. Frederick Douglass – "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" (1852)
   • Key Themes: Abolition, systemic racism, civic rights
   • URL: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/18331
2. Sojourner Truth – "Ain't I a Woman?" (1851)
   • Key Themes: Women's rights, racial equality
   • URL: https://www.nps.gov/articles/sojourner-truth.htm
3. Ida B. Wells – "Southern Horrors: Lynch Law in All Its Phases" (1892)
   • Key Themes: Anti-lynching advocacy, racial violence
   • URL: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/14975
4. Franklin D. Roosevelt – "The Economic Bill of Rights" (1944)
   • Key Themes: Economic justice, workers' rights
   • URL: https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/message-the-congress-the-state-the-union
5. Martin Luther King, Jr. – "Letter from Birmingham Jail" (1963)
   • Key Themes: Civil disobedience, racial justice, moral responsibility
   • URL: https://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html

Workshop: Writing for Advocacy
Activity 1: Analyzing Advocacy in Historical Texts

• Break into groups and analyze one of the public domain texts.
• Identify key rhetorical strategies (e.g., emotional appeals, logical reasoning, ethical arguments).
• Discuss how these writings influenced policy or social change.

Activity 2: Writing a Modern Advocacy Piece

• Choose a contemporary social justice issue (e.g., voting rights, healthcare equity, criminal justice reform).
• Write a persuasive speech, letter, or editorial advocating for policy change using rhetorical strategies from the readings.
• Suggested prompts:
  • Write a speech advocating for racial justice in your community.
  • Draft a letter to a policymaker urging action on an issue you care about.
  • Compose an op-ed addressing economic inequality and proposing solutions.

Reflection: Connecting Past & Present
​Discussion Questions:

1. What similarities exist between past and present social justice advocacy?
2. How did these historical texts inspire your own writing?
3. What are the challenges of advocating for policy change today?

Optional Reflective Writing:

• Write a short personal reflection (1-2 paragraphs) about the role of writing in advocacy.
• How can words influence policy and social change?

This workshop blends historical analysis with creative and persuasive writing, helping participants connect past advocacy efforts to contemporary social justice issues.