Uploaded June 2020 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Five years ago, we began a tradition of inviting the GCSW community to join our incoming MSW class in their summer reading assignment. Traditionally the first assignment for our MSW students initiates a journey of critical thinking and action related to social justice.
This year we have chosen to explore two works in tandem as a means to highlight intersections and inequities. Felon by Reginald Dwayne Betts and Citizen by Claudia Rankine are not only timely but necessary. The racial aggressions addressed in Citizen and the harmful effects of incarceration in Felon are topics at the heart of our College’s vision to achieve social, racial, economic, and political justice. Moreover, as we have so painfully witnessed this year, the effects of racism impact all aspects of our society. It is important to us that our students, the next generation of social work leaders, are grounded in understanding the critical role racial justice plays in our profession.
The use of poetry by both authors offers opportunities to create an indelible impression on the impact of racism in our society and the chasms of inequity it creates. Through these works, our goal is to heighten awareness on the effects of injustice and its reverberations through the lives of both individuals and communities.
Five years ago, we began a tradition of inviting the GCSW community to join our incoming MSW class in their summer reading assignment. Traditionally the first assignment for our MSW students initiates a journey of critical thinking and action related to social justice.
This year we have chosen to explore two works in tandem as a means to highlight intersections and inequities. Felon by Reginald Dwayne Betts and Citizen by Claudia Rankine are not only timely but necessary. The racial aggressions addressed in Citizen and the harmful effects of incarceration in Felon are topics at the heart of our College’s vision to achieve social, racial, economic, and political justice. Moreover, as we have so painfully witnessed this year, the effects of racism impact all aspects of our society. It is important to us that our students, the next generation of social work leaders, are grounded in understanding the critical role racial justice plays in our profession.
The use of poetry by both authors offers opportunities to create an indelible impression on the impact of racism in our society and the chasms of inequity it creates. Through these works, our goal is to heighten awareness on the effects of injustice and its reverberations through the lives of both individuals and communities.
