The William Monroe Trotter Collaborative for Social Justice was conceived in 2018 with four key objectives:

  • Connect Harvard University faculty, students, and scholars conducting research in advocacy, social justice, and related topics with local and national organizations working to create a more profound understanding of the frontiers of practice and the challenges faced by advocates.

  • Build collaboration between teams of Harvard students and organizations in the context of field-based exploration, practical policy projects, and public service work.

  • Develop inclusive platforms for faculty and students disseminating their research across audiences.

  • Promote greater access to public policy and legal resources at Harvard and elsewhere, in areas of desperate need.

The William Monroe Trotter Collaborative was created to advance the legacy of the Harvard University alumnus who advanced civil rights and social justice meaningfully, and with impact the world still feels today. The first African American Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Harvard, Trotter was a founder of the profoundly influential Niagara Movement, a founding influence of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and co-founder of the Boston Guardian, a newspaper that gained prominence both inside and outside of Massachusetts.

It is in his legacy of excellence in social justice and civil rights that the Trotter Collaborative finds its inspiration. The Collaborative fosters social justice research and works in collaboration with local and national public interest organizations. Additionally, the Trotter Collaborative offers a platform through which social justice challenges can be addressed by pioneering a comprehensive, interdisciplinary approach towards said challenges. We act as a hub for public education and communication as well as social scientific research and policy analysis regarding social justice on both a local and national level. The Collaborative also provides public policy resources to areas that are in desperate need of them.

For more information about the Trotter Collaborative, please visit the initiative's website.

Download the William Monroe Trotter Collaborative for Social Justice one pager.

"Combined action that positively impacts communities."

Faculty Director

Cornell William Brooks Photo

Cornell William Brooks

Appointment
Hauser Professor of the Practice of Nonprofit Organizations; Professor of the Practice of Public Leadership and Social Justice