Abolition as Social Change certified by Abolitionist Sanctuary
Issued by
ReligionAndPublicLife.org
The Abolition as Social Change certificate program issued by Abolitionist Sanctuary trains individuals to apply a critical and intersectional lens to understand abolition as a moral directive to repair harms, restore relationships, and rebuild more just and equitable systems. We provide one approach to abolition and recognize there are several ways to do abolition in the world. Our methodology is rooted in evidence-based research, lived experiences, and the embodied knowledge of Black women.
- Type Learning
Skills
Earning Criteria
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101 Introduction to Abolition. Explore the moral crisis of mass punishment and abolitionist responses. The lesson begins with the history of US slavery and the evolution of systems of punishment in the US carceral state.
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102 Ethics of Abolition. Abolition is an ethic and a way of life. Students enrolled in this lesson will learn how to apply the 5C ethical system to moral decision-making that guides right actions oriented toward communal values, accountability, and freedom.
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103 Intersectionality and Abolition. Learn about the experiences of Black mothers with punishment, policing, and prisons. Students will engage statistical data and stories that uncover the interlocking systems of oppression that limit and foreclose Black mothers’ human dignity and survival. Using an intersectional approach to abolition and a case study, this lesson centers on the experiences of poor Black mothers to imagine freedom futures and flourishing.
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104 Law, Public Policy, and Abolition. Explores the public policy design process and how to influence policy agendas. Begin with terminology and continue to learn how to influence political decision-making and actuate change. Learn the impact of degenerative policies that allocate burdens (and benefits) to target populations constructed as deviant (or advantaged).
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105 Abolition in Action. Learn how to apply abolitionist principles, analysis, coalition-building, and transformative justice strategies to identify community-organizing actions to create abolitionist sanctuaries for social change. You will learn the difference between reform and revolution, restorative justice and transformative justice, and anti-violence and anti-prison movements.
Standards
"Our approach to religion is academic, not devotional; we strive for student awareness of religions, but do not press for student acceptance of any religion; we sponsor the study about religion, not the practice of religion; we expose students to a diversity of religious views, but may not impose any particular view..."
The faculty at Abolitionist Sanctuary draw upon two guidelines for the academic study of religion: (1) “Religious Literacy Guidelines for College Students.” American Academy of Religion, 2019. (2) “Teaching About Religion: AAR Guidelines for K-12 Public Schools.” American Academy of Religion.
College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards, “Religious Studies Companion Document for the C3 Framework.” Silver Spring, MD: National Council for the Social Studies, 2013.