Joan Hunt
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Describe your own experience in applying political activism in your role as a social work
student and how you expect that activism to influence your career in social work
While I became interested in social justice movements and political activism in high
school, I was not aware of their role in the social work field until I was well into my
undergraduate studies at New York University. In my senior year of high school I did a senior
project teaching music lessons to youth in a Boys and Girls club in Hudson, NY. There I became
aware of the social injustices affecting the lives of the children I was working with. During the
time that I spent with the children, I was able to get a glimpse into their lives through their stories
and through meeting their families. During the year that I was there, I began to reflect on the
issues faced by these families on a broader level. Why were so many the children from singleparent, kinship or foster care households? Why were 95% of the children at the Boys and Girls
club black and brown? Why were so many of the children overweight? Why did all of them live
in the same area of town?
Overtime the underlying themes of racism and classism have continued to reoccur in my
thoughts. I began to understand the broader structures at work during my undergraduate studies
where I doubled majored in Social Work and Africana Studies. As a social work student at NYU,
I was mostly exposed to clinical social work methods, however was able to find other avenues
within the university to pursue my interests in politics and activism.
In my freshman year, I was invited to participate in NYU’s Albany Day to advocate in
support of funding for scholarship programs for low-income and minority students in New York
State. This was my first experience in political advocacy. I continued to go on the Albany Day
trips every year with NYU as my interest in this area of work grew. I felt so empowered to have
a State legislator hear my story and to begin to understand the ways in which the government
work and how citizens can be in involved in that process. One of the programs we were
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advocating for was H.E.O.P (Higher Education Opportunity Programs). I was accepted to NYU
through this program and would not have been able to attend the university without it. I was able
to share how important it was that H.E.O.P was funded not only for me, but for the thousands of
students around New York State who were in a similar situation.
During my junior year at NYU I took a class titled, “Social Work Programs and
Policies.” It was in this class that I was then able to make the necessary connections between
social work and political advocacy and was given opportunities to research and present on topics
that interconnected both disciplines. My first paper looked at the deinstitutionalization movement
in New York State and my final presentations were on the Rockefeller Drug Laws. While I have
been interested in conditions of confinement for some time, the final project for this class on the
Rockefeller Drug Laws really moved me to find my niche in criminal justice reform.
The main resource I used when doing research on the Rockefeller Drug Laws was The
Correctional Association of NY. As my project came to a close, I contacted the organization to
inquire about internship possibilities. I interviewed with the Public Policy Project/Drop the Rock
and soon began my internship. During my time at the Correctional Association I was able to see
the different ways people within the organization were advocating for change in NY’s prison
system. There was political advocacy, community outreach, public education and coalition
building all of which I was involved in. When I arrived at my internship in June of 2009, the
Rockefeller Drug Law reform had just passed in NY. It was a very interesting political moment
in the country around drug law reform and our project, Drop the Rock, had to reevaluate and
redesign its platform.
One of the key reasons the Rockefeller Drug Laws were passed in New York State was
because of community involvement in the advocacy process. The Drop the Rock coalition is
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comprised of members of the community, formerly incarcerated individuals, family members of
currently incarcerated people and representatives from related organizations. This coalition
worked diligently in gathering petition signatures, holding state-wide empowerment days to
spread the word, reaching out to organizations across New York State and lastly, holding an
Advocacy Day in Albany. On this day, approximately 400 people travelled up to Albany to
demand that the Rockefeller Drug Laws be repealed. In March 2009, Drop the Rock travelled up
to Albany once again and this time one of the coalition members handed the Governor a stack of
petitions containing 30,000 signatures. Not to say that this was the only reason, but in April
2009, Governor Patterson did reform these notorious laws. After years of work the coalition had
finally accomplished part of their mission. Although I arrived at Drop the Rock just after this
victory, the energy and determination was still alive within the coalition.
What I thought was going to be a summer internship, turned into my senior year field
placement. I was able to take part in the organizing of another Advocacy Day, conduct
community outreach and meet with State legislatures around prison justice issues. This work
allowed me to realize my true passions and motivated to continue this work alongside individuals
and communities most affected by injustice systems and practices.
As I continue on my journey to battle the many injustices in the prison system I hold true
to the NASW’s Code of Ethics ethical principle to challenge social injustice. The people behind
prison walls are silenced and discriminated against during their incarceration and in the years
following. Although they have mistakes in lives they deserve to be treated equally and have the
opportunity at a second chance in life. As a social worker I will strive to advocate with those
who are able to and for those who cannot.