Social Workers Protesting in the Street: Tarheel Edition

by Deona Hooper, MSW

Social Workers marching in the streets are not exclusively happening overseas. Social Workers in the US are anxious to get back to our social justice roots in effort to protect past and future civil rights issues. This is especially true for a group of Social Workers coming together in the Tarheel State from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Marty Weems, a clinical instructor at UNC-Chapel Hill, and Katie Maxwell, a graduate of the MSW Program at UNC-Chapel Hill, created an organization called Social Workers Unite in order to champion human rights.

Photos SWUnite FB Fan Page

On October 1, 2012, Social Workers Unite marched in the streets of Durham, North Carolina to support and advocate for the rights of LGBTQ folks in the Tarheel State. There was a strong showing of solidarity despite the march occurring the pouring rain. Also, support and advocacy for equality was strong in this highly polarized Tarheel State especially after the passage of  Amendment 1. On May 28, 2012, North Carolinians passed Amendment 1 which  limited the definition of recognizable domestic partnerships. The Republican led legislature wanted  to further restrict domestic unions despite already having laws on the books defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

This is a Social Worker and Tarheel led advocacy organization working to get us back to our social justice roots. You can like them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SocialWorkersUnite.