Each year, Alpha Kappa Delta honors chapters that bring sociology’s core values to life through our Social Justice Award—a program supporting innovative, student-centered projects that address inequality, empower communities, and advance the sociological imagination. As we close the year with our AKD Community Chronicle, we are proud to highlight the 2024 Social Justice Award recipient: the AKD chapter at Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU).
Their award-funded initiative, the “Art as Resistance Workshop,” stands as a powerful example of what happens when sociology students and faculty come together to create community, and foster creativity and connection. What unfolded at NEIU wasn’t just an event—it was a student-led expression of creativity, resilience, and sociological engagement, rooted deeply in social justice values.
Planting the Seeds of Sociological Action
NEIU’s AKD chapter used their Social Justice Award funds to host the “Art as Resistance Workshop” on April 29, 2025. For four hours, a large campus space was transformed into a vibrant environment buzzing with art, music, movement, and collective energy. Students and faculty gathered not merely to create art, but to engage in resistance through expression—an act as old as social movements themselves.
The workshop was fully student-led, emphasizing AKD’s commitment to empowering sociology students not only as learners but as agents of change. What made the event especially impactful was its collaboration across multiple programs on campus, including:
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African and African American Studies (AFAM)
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Latinx and Latin American Studies (LLAS)
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Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGS)
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The Social Justice Living-Learning Community
This interdisciplinary approach reflects sociology’s well-established recognition that social justice issues are not siloed—they intersect across race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and community experiences. By bringing together students and faculty from these programs, NEIU created a space where sociological thinking met artistic action.
Art as a Tool for Resistance, Healing, and Solidarity
Art has long been a central tool for resistance, from protest posters to community murals. NEIU embraced this tradition by providing participants with multiple hands-on workshop stations, including those on “making zines, collages, paintings, posters, buttons, and more—all within the theme of social Justice/resistance.”
Each activity emphasized social justice themes and invited students to express their sociopolitical experiences and identities. The NEIU chapter reported that the room was “teeming with positive energy and excitement,” a testament to the collective power of creativity in times of social and political uncertainty.
Students shared deep gratitude for the event—not only for the artistic outlet but also for the emotional support it provided during the pressures of finals and the broader political climate. Many NEIU students are Pell-eligible, and the chapter noted how appreciative they were for the food offered at the event. This attention to students’ material needs reflects sociological commitments to recognizing inequality and supporting student well-being.
Faculty also expressed appreciation for the workshop, emphasizing that the event created a sense of togetherness and a meaningful opportunity to push back against contemporary social challenges. In sociological terms, the workshop strengthened social cohesion, built collective efficacy, and provided a platform for counter-narratives—all central to community-based social justice efforts.
A Reminder of Sociology’s Public Mission
At its core, sociology is deeply connected to public engagement. NEIU’s workshop reinforces that the discipline does not simply study inequality—it also provides tools to challenge it. The chapter’s success serves as an inspiring reminder of AKD’s mission: to promote excellence in sociology, acknowledge academic achievement, and encourage the application of sociological knowledge for the improvement of the human condition.
Apply for the AKD Social Justice Award
As AKD chapters plan for the year ahead, we encourage all student groups to consider how they might use the Social Justice Award to support social justice initiatives on their campuses. Whether through art, research, advocacy, community partnership, or educational programming, the award provides an opportunity to expand sociology beyond the classroom.
Applications open each Fall semester, and AKD welcomes proposals that implement meaningful change related to social justice.
Application details are posted each Fall on the AKD website, including eligibility requirements and submission guidelines.
Looking Forward with the AKD Community
The 2024 Social Justice Award project from NEIU demonstrates what happens when sociology students are empowered to turn theory into action. Their creativity, leadership, and community vision remind us that the pursuit of social justice is not just an academic concept, but a lived practice.
As we reflect on the year and prepare for the next, we celebrate NEIU’s achievement and look forward to supporting future chapters who will carry this work forward. The path to a more just world is built piece by piece, often through efforts just like this—creative, collaborative, and grounded in sociological insight!