“Social justice recognizes the inherent dignity of all people and values every life equally. It calls for both personal reflection and social change to ensure that each of us has the right and the opportunity to thrive in our communities, regardless of our identities. When we acknowledge that oppression exists and work together to end systemic discrimination and structural inequities, we increase the promise of a more just world.”
Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership
The Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership (ACSJL) is an initiative of Kalamazoo College whose mission is to develop and sustain leaders in human rights and social justice through education and capacity-building.
We envision a campus and world where:
- every person’s life is equally valued,
- the inherent dignity of all people is recognized,
- the opportunity to develop one’s full potential is available to every person, and
- systematic discrimination and structural inequities have been eradicated.
Visit our About page to learn more about us and our goals.
Building Hours
The Arcus Center (ACSJL) building is currently only open to the Kalamazoo College community for use and will be open from 9:00am to 12:00pm Monday – Friday.
If you have an interest in using our space for a social justice-related project or program, please visit our ACSJL Support page to learn more about the various support opportunities we offer and to reserve the space.
205 Monroe Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49006 (Physical)
1200 Academy St. Kalamazoo, MI 49006 (Mailing)
Parking Information
The parking area directly in front of the front entrance of the building is reserved as accessible parking spaces. Those who do not require accessible parking may park along the West side of Monroe Street (opposite side from ACSJL) and on both sides of Academy Street.
Hostile Terrain 94 and Hopeful Remain Art Installations
The Arcus Center is one of 150 global sites showcasing the Hostile Terrain 94 exhibit. Our main purpose in hosting this installation is to participate in the global memorializing of the thousands who have died at the US/Mexico border as a direct result of the US Border Patrol policy known as “Prevention Through Deterrence” (PTD). Through the process of honoring each person represented in the project we also raise awareness of the realities of the US/Mexico border and the need for more humane immigration and refugee policies.
Hopeful Remain is an art installation designed by visual artist Nayda Collazo-Llorens. It consists of phrases borrowed from migrant oral history archives, interview transcripts, shared writings, and other sources, and was created as a companion piece to Hostile Terrain 94 (HT94). Special thanks to Marcos Ferguson Morales and Jesse Herrera, Kalamazoo College graduates and former Arcus Center Social Justice Associates, for their invaluable help in the collection of the text.
For more information about how you can use the space or partner with ACSJL, visit our building page.
If you have any questions, please contact the ACSJL by emailing arcus.center@kzoo.edu or by calling 269.337.7398.