New Labor Institute Partnership with Jobs With Justice Announced
Clark Atlanta University (CAU) will welcome U.S. Department of Labor, Acting Secretary Julie Su for an event this Wednesday, September 25, from 1:00-2:30 PM ET at the Thomas W. Cole, Jr., Research Center For Science And Technology Exhibition Hall on the Clark Atlanta University campus.
This visit by the Hon. Julie Su is a pivotal moment for CAU’s new Labor Institute, the Institute for the Advancement of Black Strategists, a partnership between the W.E.B. Du Bois Southern Center for Studies in Public Policy at CAU and Jobs With Justice (JWJ), Jobs With Justice Education Fund, and the Advancing Black Strategists Initiative (ABSI). The Labor Institute will offer a certificate program focused on labor movements, economic equity, and social justice.
“This partnership led by W.E.B. Du Bois Southern Center for Studies in Public Policy at Clark Atlanta University with Jobs With Justice provides pathways for our students to become labor strategists with a focus on the South and the Black worker experience,” said CAU President George T. French, Jr. Ph.D. “Together, we are setting the foundation for a healthy 21st century democracy where all workers can thrive with dignity and fairness.”
“Clark Atlanta University is proud to partner with Jobs With Justice to establish the Labor Institute, where students will have the unique opportunity to engage with the critical issues shaping the future of work,” said Dr. Joseph Jones, Executive Director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Southern Center for Studies in Public Policy at Clark Atlanta University. “By offering a certificate in labor studies, we are equipping the next generation of leaders with the knowledge and tools necessary to champion workers’ rights and advocate for economic justice in their communities and beyond.”
“We are thrilled to partner with the W.E.B. Du Bois Center at Clark Atlanta University to launch the Labor Institute,” said Erica Smiley, Executive Director of Jobs With Justice. “This partnership provides pathways for students to become labor strategists with a focus on the South and the Black worker experience. Together, we are setting the foundation for a healthy 21st century democracy where all workers can thrive with dignity and fairness.”
The Labor Institute will begin offering courses in the upcoming academic year, with applications for the certificate program opening this fall. For more information, please visit www.cauduboispolicycenter.org, reach out via email at infoduboispolicycenter@cau.edu, or call 470-748-9829.
About W.E.B. Du Bois Southern Center for Studies in Public Policy
The W.E.B. Du Bois Southern Center for Studies in Public Policy, part of the Dr. Mack Henry Jones Department of Political Science at Clark Atlanta University, is dedicated to research and analysis that inform public policy decisions and promote social justice. The Center provides a collaborative environment for scholars and practitioners to work together toward creating a more equitable society.
About Jobs With Justice
Jobs With Justice is a national network of local coalitions of labor unions, community groups, faith-based organizations, and activists. The organization has been at the forefront of campaigns to raise wages, improve working conditions, and foster a fair and equitable economy for all.
About Clark Atlanta University
Clark Atlanta University was formed with the consolidation of Atlanta University and Clark College. Atlanta University, established in 1865 by the American Missionary Association, was the nation’s first institution to award graduate degrees to African Americans. Clark College, established four years later in 1869, was the nation’s first four-year liberal arts college to serve a primarily African American student population. Today, with nearly 4,000 students, CAU is the largest of the four institutions (CAU, Morehouse College, Spelman College, and Morehouse School of Medicine) that comprise the Atlanta University Center Consortium. It is also the largest of the 37-member UNCF institutions. To learn more about Clark Atlanta University, visit www.cau.edu.