Keywords: Crime (theft and vandalism), Censorship, Destruction, Teamwork, Conformity, Freedom
“An Introduction to Research Justice is intended for community organizers to apply tools and concepts of Research Justice to organizing. This toolkit encourages marginalized communities to recognize their own expertise and to develop their own analysis of the issues that impact them.”
Author: DataCenter, Oakland, 2015
The guidebook draws on the principles of Participatory Action Research and focuses on challenging structural barriers to information, providing opportunities for communities to confront and reshape power structures in the research process, leading to community-generated solutions.
“To fully harness the power of Research Justice, we must heal from internalized ‘research oppression’ – by fully reconciling its consequences on our communities, or families, and ourselves. When people are unable to recognize their own expertise and begin to internalize dominant messages, they feel disempowered and unable to challenge power. Empowering communities to build and recognize their own expertise is an essential part of challenging research oppression. Research justice is achieved when communities reclaim and access all forms of knowledge to affect change. The balance of power is restored between community voices and those of institutions.”