When it comes to fighting for social justice and equality on campus, students believe that the university falls short.
Cadence Roy and Becca Winward are now seniors, and their experience on campus has been short of their expectations. Fighting injustice was a critical value to both of them, and they expressed frustration from a lack of effort from the university faculty, staff and students.
“I felt like the campus as a whole was disengaged from activism,” Roy, a communications major, said.
Both Winward and Roy became involved with The Lattice Project during their freshman year, a registered student organization (RSO) on campus dedicated to fostering social justice.
“I was having trouble finding spaces that appealed to me,” Winward, a political science major, said. “They were very welcoming, and eventually, I became a part of the executive board.”
Roy, who is the organization’s current president, shares Winward’s sentiment.
“It was one of few politically active spaces on campus,” Roy said. “It was a very valuable community to me as someone new to the area.”
The Lattice Project’s main mission is to extend knowledge on ongoing social justice issues and how to get involved at a campus level. They facilitate social justice education such as lectures, seminars, workshops and arts, as well as share opportunities to get involved with social justice movements on campus.
Regarding the current state of social justice on campus, Winward believes it needs drastic improvement.
“There needs to be a change in philosophy on a university level,” Winward said. “The current philosophy around politics that’s being encouraged is dialogue-approached. It’s having debates where both sides are even and we respect every opinion equally. But what that really does is promote opinions that are discriminatory as equally valid as those who are being oppressed.”
Winward expressed frustration from having open dialogue with the administration about her concerns. She claimed the administration would often conclude neutrality.
“It’s deeply rooted in our culture to defame movements and stamp out ‘divisiveness,’” Roy said. “The divisiveness in question is calling out the harm that systems are creating.”
Both members shared ideas the university can make to foster a better environment for social justice.
“Students need to take initiative to hold the university accountable,” Winward said. “Right now UD is struggling financially because of the decisions the administration made, they are having to cut funding from everything, including Student Diversity and Inclusion, which has already started to cause backward strides in improving social justice in the community.”
Despite activists’ frustration on campus, they are pleased to have a space in Perkins Student Center to grow their community.
The Perkins Center for Intercultural Engagement (CIE) recently opened on campus. It provides a space where students can further explore social justice, equity, diversity and inclusion.
“The CIE opened after my freshman year,” Winward said. “Having a space to foster social justice and support diversity and inclusion has helped with our cause. There’s space for community.”
The Lattice Project not only focuses on campus activism but expands their mission to local Newark. The RSO has partnered with activist and fundraising groups around Delaware.
Alongside Delaware State Senator Marie Pinkey, Delaware State Representative Madinah Wilson-Anton did a teach-in for Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA). The RSO also wishes to partner with Food not Bombs, a program dedicated to feeding the homeless across the world.
Alongside the foundation of building upon social justice, The Lattice Project focuses on bringing intersectionality into its education.
“We must ensure that when we educate people they understand that the liberation of one is the liberation of all,” Roy said. “Dominant system in power is maintained by each other, therefore all our freedoms are tethered to each other as well.”
Roy and Winward think the fight for social justice on campus is far from over, but The Lattice Project is continuing its education and activism for the rights of all people. Both believe an equitable future is out there, but not without work.
Roy shared the sentiment that students entering communities dedicated to social justice would be beneficial.
“We did a teach-in on the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement,” Roy said. “We did it with a sorority called Lambda Pi Chi. They were specifically not a social justice organization and it shows how far our educational reach can go.”
When it comes to building upon social justice, forming a community is a large part of it. The Lattice Project is actively bringing students together with the common goal of fighting for social justice.
“The image of the lattice itself is that everything is interlocking,” Roy said. “Building an interlocking community that you can fall back on. Non-judgemental educational spaces where we are seeking to grow together.”
Editor’s Note: Cadence Roy is a former staff member of The Review. As of the spring 2024 semester, Roy was no longer on staff.