In coordination with Students United for Palestine, or SUPR, at Michigan State University, Greater Lansing Islamic organized the “Justice for Palestine” protest to “stop the genocide” and to “tell Biden and all elected officials” to ceasefire.
With hundreds of classes offered at Michigan State University, it can be hard to choose exactly which ones to take, especially regarding electives, throughout your time here. Below is a compilation of various classes that are not exactly titled “social justice,” but still cover social issues that are important for students to know about. If you have extra classes to take in your time remaining at MSU, keep reading to see which ones interest you.
Organizations like PERIOD., Helping Women Period, Mission Menstruation X MSU and Pad the Mitten came together to host an event for the action day at the MSU Union on Oct. 14.
On Thursday, Oct. 12 at 5 p.m., Students United for Palestinian Rights, or SUPR, organized a protest called “Hands Off Palestine” to garner support for those in Palestine and tell Michigan’s state government there should be no American support for Israeli war crimes. The protest, which amassed over one hundred people, included Michigan State University students, members of SUPR, people of Palestinian descent and other supporters.
MSU Law Professor Justin Simard started the "Citing Slavery Project" in 2020 after researching sources for a project and stumbling upon citations of slave cases by modern judges. “The goal of the project is to document all cases involving enslaved people, either as litigants or as the property and dispute, and (we cite) all the cases... on our website,” Simard said. “It is essentially to get scholars and lawyers to recognize the important influence that slavery has played on the development of American law.”
The Spartan Family Sensory Room was unveiled last Tuesday. The room is meant to be a safe space for individuals with autism and sensory needs.
During her “What’s Next” address on Aug. 30, 2023, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer explained that a majority of Michiganders support paid family and medical leave so workers can spend time with their newborns, care for a sick parent or recover after a severe medical procedure. Whitmer plans to enact paid leave in a way that would ensure “people have breathing room” between the time of their leave and coming back to work.
On Sept. 13 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., around 2,000 Michigan citizens surrounded the Michigan Capitol for the “Walk a Mile in My Shoes” rally to bring more attention to mental and public health and wellness. The main organization that held this rally was the Community Mental Health Association of Michigan, or CMHA, with different associated organizations representing each county in Michigan.
On Sep. 5 at noon, around the courtyard and on the steps of the Michigan Capitol, a crowd of roughly 500 people chanted, “the rent is too damn high!” The demonstration was to express their disapproval of Lansing housing conditions and costs.
Representative Gina Johnsen (R-Lake Odessa), sponsored changes to current state law with House Bill 4285 that would allow those with concealed carry permits to conceal carry firearms in Michigan colleges and universities.
Gun violence advocacy prevention groups are teaming up during June to continue the push toward state-wide gun control. The month of action will include events across Michigan that aim to memorialize the victims of gun violence, educate communities about gun violence, celebrate the passage of new gun safety laws and call for more action.
Candace Owens voiced conservative opinions inside the Business college while protesters gathered outside. Owens said she found more use in people going to trade schools and getting "actual jobs" than getting college degrees.