Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB)

The University of Kansas, School of Social Welfare (KUSSW) dedicates the Toni Johnson Center for Racial and Social Justice to Dr. Toni Johnson, our beloved colleague, friend, and professor. Dr. Johnson was a member of the KUSSW faculty from 2005-2016. Dr. Johnson committed her life to social, racial, and economic justice for youth and their families. As a practitioner, researcher, and professor, Dr. Johnson aspired to be a social change agent to increase the inclusion and equity of all people, with a particular focus on African American families. She was dedicated to supporting students in and out of the classroom, including her role as the Director for the Multicultural Scholars Program. She received the Gene A. and Gretchen Budig Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2012. The Center represents KUSSW’s commitment to forward Dr. Johnson’s life work by promoting student involvement and engaged scholarship in the areas of race and social justice.

Our mission is to promote an educational environment engaged in racial and social justice. We aim to advance the well-being, success, and equity for students of color while attending to their intersectional identities; serve as a catalyst for critical dialogue on race and social justice within the School and the KU community; and expand service, teaching, and research on race and intersectional social justice in our School and the larger community.