The Coalition for Diversity & Social Justice, or the CDSJ, is a student-run organization dedicated to diversity and empowering students on campus to have their voices and identities heard. It serves as an umbrella organization to 6 of SU’s cultural/identity organizations: SU AlliesE.B.O.N.Y. (Encouraging Blacks and Others to Never Yield), Kappa Delta Chi (a Latina-founded service sorority), Latinos Unidos, Pan-Asian Association , and SU Native.

We focus on educating and encouraging the Southwestern campus to be actively involved with us, whether that means attending forums on current social justice events (like our most-recent Trayvon Martin Forum) or inviting them out to our organizations’ many different events (like the annual MLK Dinner hosted by E.B.O.N.Y., the Lunar New Year Dinner hosted by P.A.A., the annual Powwow by SU Native, etc.). Our work intertwines with Southwestern University’s Diversity Enrichment Committee and the Office of Diversity Education , as many of our goals and services are in line with one another.

The CDSJ is only two years old, but it has grown to represent over 200 members (students and alumni) between the 6 CDSJ organizations in just that short amount of time. Our intra-organizational goals are to promote communication and support between the CDSJ organizations. This means that each organization within CDSJ learns more about intersections between their organization’s culture/identity and the other CDSJ organizations’…. it also makes for really successful events!

We constantly are looking for new ways to help others see intersections between themselves and our CDSJ groups and goals, and the upcoming first-annual CDSJ Day will be no exception! Come out Saturday, April 21st, from 12-4 for some guaranteed fun, interactive booths by each of the 6 CDSJ organizations, a CDSJ booth, and some awesome booths from a few [surprise] guest organizations! There will be a free picnic lunch at 3 just outside the Bishops Lounge, with student singers performing for everyone! We look forward to seeing you there!