About Us:
The institute is located in the College of Social Work and directed by the I. DeQuincey Newman Chair. It was conceived in partnership with the university, the College of Social Work and interested community groups.
To learn more about the institute’s namesake, I. DeQuincey Newman, view his papers online through the University Libraries Digital Collections.***
Areas of Commitment:
- Upholding Social Justice: Providing pivotal opportunities for political participation, civic engagement, and multidimensional individual & community empowerment.
- Community Centered Outreach: Build K-12 and other community partnerships to enact multigenerational participation in the creation of change.
- Reimagining Research: Support efforts to expand the Institute’s footprint to include nontraditional forms of participation in social justice through arts, cultural engagement & unique self-expression.
- Empowering Future Legends: Harnessing the power & Living Legacies of past civil rights activists into the building of innovative advocates and leaders of today!
Lecture Series
The I. DeQuincey Newman Lecture Series in Peace and Justice, established in 2005, represents one of many vehicles designed to disseminate invaluable information and data to the larger community on social justice-related topics. Events are open to all interested parties, feel free to join us!
2025
Presenter: Dr. Rheeda Walker
Title: Mental Health Is Wealth - A Symposium
2024
Presenter: The Honorable Judge Clifton Newman
Title: The Impact of Social Justice on the Judicial System
2022
Presenter: Kesha Hayes, MA, LPN, community advocate
Title: Resilience through Advocacy
2021
Presenter: Bakari Sellers, CNN political commentator and New York Times bestselling author
Title: Virtual Town Hall with Bakari Sellers
2020
Presenter: Ibram X. Kendi, Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities at Boston University; New York Times bestselling author
Title: Live Discussion with Ibram Kendi
2019
Presenter: Gaby Pacheco, Director of Advocacy, Communications and Development, TheDream.US
Title: What google won’t tell you about immigration
2018
Presenter: Joshua Correll, Ph.D., Associate Professor, University of Colorado Boulder, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience
Title: Police and racial bias: Lessons from the lab to the street
2017
Presenter: Llewellyn J. Cornelius, Ph.D., LCSW, Donald L. Hollowell Distinguished Professor of Social Justice and Civil Rights Studies and the Director of the Center for Social Justice, Human and Civil Rights at the University of Georgia
Title: Why is the south the epicenter of the new HIV/AIDS epidemic? The role of barriers to health insurance in disparities to HIV care
2016
Presenter: Patrick J. Patterson, MSW, MPH, President, Global Partners for Fathers and Families Consulting, LLC
Title: 5 habits of good fathers that build strong families
2015
Presenter: The Honorable Anton Gunn, MSW, Chief Diversity Office of the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Health Center
Title: From public enemy to public good: An open discussion on social justice, activism, health disparities and leadership in the area of healthcare reform
2014
Presenter: Henrie M. Treadwell, Ph.D., Founding Director, Community Voices, Morehouse School of Medicine
Title: Passing the torch: Civil rights agenda for the 21st century
2012
Presenter: Robert Hawkins, MPA, Ph.D., New York University
Title: Poverty, rights, and everyday wrongs: Why social policy does not mean social justice
2006
Presenter: U. S. Federal Judge Matthew James Perry, Jr.
Title: Civil Rights in South Carolina
2005
Presenter: Congressman James E. Clyburn
Title: Rev. Newman and Civil Rights in South Carolina
Living Legacy Impact Awards
This is awarded to a community member who has been recognized for "raising the bar" for greatness in society.
2025: Honorable Judge C. Newman
This is awarded to a staff/faculty member who has been recognized for their contributions in creating a socially just society for everyone.
2025: Assistant Dean of Students Sonya Singleton
This is awarded to a student who has been recognized for their contributions in creating a socially just society for everyone.
2025: Amari Polite, MSW Graduate
This is awarded to a partner of the college who has been recognized for the contributions they've made to the community they serve.
2025: Assistant Superintendent Timothy Hopkins, KCSD
The sponsors of The I. DeQuincey Newman Institute for Peace and Social Justice can be found on the Sponsors page.