Student Development
The James E. Campbell Race and Social Justice Initiative Student Leadership Award
Named to honor Mr. James E. Campbell, a longtime civil rights activist, global educator, and friend of the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture, the James E. Campbell Race and Social Justice Initiative Student Leadership Award (SLA) provides financial support for student social justice activists across South Carolina.
As part of our commitment to student development, the Student Leadership Award (SLA) is a $10,000.00 travel and research stipend divided amongst 10 student leaders who recognize the importance of social justice activism and are driven to become organizers of change. Inspired by the findings of the The State of Racial Disparities in Charleston County, South Carolina 2000–2015, a study conducted and published by RSJI, the SLA funds students who are actively seeking solutions for the pervasiveness of racial inequality and injustice within the Lowcountry, the South, and the nation. Applicants are required to write a proposal, which will be reviewed by the RSJI team, detailing their unique travel and research projects. At the conclusion of the funding semester, each award recipient will present their findings at the James E. Campbell Race and Social Justice Initiative Student Leadership Award Symposium.
James E. Campbell (1925-2021), an African American educator and civil rights activist, worked as a teacher in Baltimore, Maryland, New York, New York, and Tanzania. He later became an administrator with the New York City public school system. Campbell also served as contributing editor for the journal Freedomways. Relocating after retirement, he became a community activist in Charleston, South Carolina and continued his involvement with educational initiatives. Throughout his life, Campbell has worked with organizations focused on socialism, Pan-Africanism, freedom struggles, and equity in education.