Fresno City College will soon celebrate the opening of its first Social Justice Center designed to engage the campus by promoting social justice and equity, locally, nationally, and globally.

According to FCC’s website, the SJC will be a space for social justice-related students, clubs, or groups to meet, collaborate, and network. Organizers designed the space to be a place where students of color and many marginalized groups can feel safe, welcomed, and at home.

The center will provide a research center, a center for workshops, a student prioritized space for social justice, and a location for programs and events.

This new center, located in the Old Administration Building room 139, will have its ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, March 21, at 11 a.m. near the West Courtyard.

Lee Herrick, an English instructor at FCC since 1997, is a founding member and co chair of the Social Justice Center Committee.

“We are excited to open the Social Justice Center, which will further the mission and values of Fresno City College. Justice for all is unattainable without opportunities to learn about injustice in all of its forms,” Herrick said.

Kathy Bonilla, FCC Public Information Officer said the Social Justice Center has been Lee’s passion project for years.

“He’s very excited that it’s finally done,” Bonilla said.

The committee also includes Classified Senate President Monique Reyna, history and political science instructor Paul Gilmore, and English instructor Michael Takeda.

The Social Justice Center will be open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. during the spring and fall semesters.

“Individual students and social justice-related student clubs are welcome to meet in the Center, raise awareness, and advocate for social justice wherever and whenever needed to better serve,” Herrick said.

The center will have social justice-themed books that students can read and computers that have research databases with local social organizations where they can get involved on a range of issues and topics.