WHY DOES
SOCIAL JUSTICE
MATTER?
root in a scholarship made available by former PLU President William O. Rieke. Started in 1988, the Rieke Leadership Award is made available to students who are interested in social justice and diversity issues. Any student can apply – those who have always have had a passion for social justice issues, and some who have had
MAURICE ECKSTEIN ’11 Hometown: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago Major: Communication Maurice Eckstein is a first-generation college student. The senior, from Trinidad and Tobago, learned about social justice indirectly after coming to PLU. “I didn’t really know a lot about social justice before I got here,” he said. “When I came here I was forced to become aware of it.” Eckstein said that he felt thrust into the realm of studying social justice when he realized he could identify with the African-American community because of his appearance. Back home, in his very culturally diverse Caribbean nation, his appearance didn’t cause him to stand out. Here, that wasn’t always the case. It allowed him to look at issues in ways he might have never considered before.
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little or no experience with it, but simply want to learn more. Hambrick says there are typically 30 to 40 Rieke Scholars a year, receiving $1,500 to $3,000 a year. Rieke Scholars, in turn, work with the D Center to program events that engage the entire student body on issues of diversity and tolerance. For instance, 14 student
For instance, Eckstein has been wrestling with concept of privilege – the idea that some people have advantages in life that others do not. The most obvious example might be access to a university education. “College was not an automatic thing for me,” he said. It isn’t for a lot of people. And by simply looking at his – and other’s – opportunities through that lens has been important to how he sees the world. “It’s absolutely necessary to pay attention to this aspect of understand-
groups help create the “Tunnel of Oppression” where participants navigate through a maze of simulations involving topics as diverse as the drug wars in Mexico or what it might be like to attend a college where 80 percent of the student body is students of color. The idea, according to Hambrick, is to get participants to experience a pointof-view they might not otherwise
ing issues,” Eckstein said. “I’m trying to ensure [what students] bring to the world is genuine.” Eckstein helps students from around the world acclimate to the PLU community, and he is always thinking of new ways to advocate for them. He plays a primary role in organizing multicultural night and “Global Get-Down,“ where students can showcase a piece of their culture and learn about other cultures.