Marking Four Years of Building a Cross-Issue Progressive Network in Boston
1400 Members, 80 Events, and Countless Connections Made Since 2006
Boston-based network Socializing for Justice will commemorate its fourth anniversary with an Open House event called Connecting for Justice on September 16th from 6-9PM at Lir Irish Pub on Boylston Street in Boston. Held three times a year, this event draws hundreds of progressives of all stripes - diverse by age, race, gender, sexual orientation, newness to Boston and experience with activism. The purpose is to build a cross-issue progressive community, network and movement in Boston while putting the social back in social justice. Newcomers and long-time members will come together at Connecting for Justice to celebrate the remarkable success of this member-driven, volunteer-run grassroots group.
Socializing for Justice is the brainchild of local activist, community organizer and event planner Robbie Samuels. For almost 10 years, Robbie has been involved with Boston’s progressive community through a number of organizations. He has been recognized for his efforts - in 2009 he was the inaugural recipient of the History Project’s Lavender Rhino Award and the Theater Offensive’s Gender Hero Award. In creating SoJust, Robbie has combined fun, socializing and cross-issue mobilization as never before.
The vision for SoJust comes from Robbie’s firsthand experience. He wanted to address what he was repeatedly finding in his work – that individuals, organizations, and campaigns stunted their effectiveness by focusing solely on single-issue work. He shares, “There was a definite void that I thought SoJust could fill. I thought that if we could get enough people representing enough progressive issues into a room, we might be able to engender cross-issue collaboration and more effectively fight for social justice.”
At their “birthday” event participants can experience the connecting power of Socializing for Justice for themselves. There will be Action Stations to link attendees with local organizations, a Catalyst Corner with “I’m Looking For” and “Ask Me About” tags, a Jobs Board filled with openings from other social change groups and a free Literature Table. These features mirror options on SoJust’s website, www.sojust.org, an online hub where social justice events, job and volunteer opportunities from other social change organizations are cross-posted on the Calendar and Message Board.
Get involved with Boston’s fastest-growing cross-issue progressive community. Network with like-minded progressives and find the space and opportunities you’ve been searching for. In the words of Robbie, ““If you think this group MIGHT be for you – it is.” Learn more and RSVP for Connecting for Justice at www.sojust.org.
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