Leadership for Democracy and Social Justice (LDSJ)

Leadership for Democracy and Social Justice (LDSJ) is an institute of the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership at City College of New York and the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies.

Existing models of leadership in social justice are often tied to one theory of change or a single community of practice, whether that’s street protests, workplace organizing, or lobbying on Capitol Hill. But a new generation of leaders needs to fight for power across movements, theories of change, and disciplines––both from outside and inside existing institutions.

Leadership for Democracy and Social Justice is an institute created and led by movement leaders with experience and investment in grassroots organizing. We support diverse cohorts of leaders from the communities at the forefront of social justice movements understand how to build lasting power and use it for our collective liberation.