Justice Matters’ mission is to bring about racially just schools by developing and promoting education policy rooted in community vision.

Education policy will promote racial justice in schools only if it is shaped by a powerful vision for what such schools look like. Such a vision must be rooted in an understanding that low-income communities of color have wisdom, values and perspectives that contribute a great deal to racially just, high-quality schools. Such a vision must embrace the aspirations that low-income communities of color have for their children and communities. And such a vision must be informed by research and scholarship that is grounded in an analysis of institutional racism and that is conducted by scholars of color. When our school system is shaped by such a vision, it will provide low-income students of color with the education they deserve and will provide all students with a more relevant, holistic, compassionate, and profound learning experience.

Justice Matters calls our vision for education “REAL Education for Minds & Souls,” or “REAL Education” for short.

REAL education is poetry and scholarship, hopes and dreams, numbers and letters, technology and literature, arts and crafts, fútbol and basketball, running and jumping, thinking and learning. REAL Education is children, families, elders and communities….
Drinking knowledge like water….

REAL Education is a vision for education that goes beyond the limitations of our current public education system which doesn’t value our multi cultural, multi-generational and multi-lingual communities.

REAL Education is based on values of racial and economic justice, and therefore, devotes explicit attention to making sure that schools prepare students of color, immigrant students, and low-income students for all aspects of their future.

[ Click here to view complete vision ]

Research & Policy Work
Justice Matters conducts research and policy analysis both to uncover educational injustice, and also to investigate places that are providing a racially just and meaningful education to low-income students of color. Our research and analysis leads to the development of policy that will bring about the kind of schools that communities of color dream of for their children.

To give input into Justice Matters policy thinking, click here.

Media/Public Education
Justice Matters use public education strategies to build hope and excitement about racially just schools, showing how wonderful schools for low-income communities and communities of color can be. We also create media and educational materials about the policies that will spread these schools throughout the system. We use public education strategies to create outlets for community members to express their voices and perspectives about what our schools should look like and accomplish.

Campaigns & Action
Justice Matters develops and provides support for campaigns in collaboration with organized community groups of parents, youth, and teachers throughout the state of California. These campaigns focus on winning changes in school district or state policy. We also work with coalitions, advocacy organizations, politicians, and policy makers to push for policy change.

-Wade Nobles