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In the classroom and beyond, Loyola School of Education faculty and students have been forging an important path toward a world without racism. Whether it be in lecture halls, on YouTube, or in nationally recognized news outlets, members of the School of Education community stand on the front lines of developing a more just and equal society for all.  

Professor and Co-Chair for Counseling Psychology, Dr. Matt Miller is a 2001 and 2005 graduate from the School of Education. 鈥淎s a student here, I was learning that our work as scholars should help to address inequities. If we aren鈥檛 working to advocate for oppressed members of our communities, we鈥檙e missing opportunities to make a difference,鈥� says Miller.  

Since graduating from Loyola, Miller has participated in scholarly work at various institutions, yet he returned home to Loyola because of the university鈥檚 proactive engagement with society and its drive for justice. 鈥淚 believe Loyola is trying to figure out how to be a light in the world, and that does make a difference. I came back here in large part because my experience as a student was very meaningful in terms of supporting equity work and research. Here, that鈥檚 celebrated and accepted in a way that is not common,鈥� says Miller

At Loyola, Miller directs the Race, Culture, and Health Equity Lab where he provides research mentorship to his students. Inside the lab, he and his students do work for Miller鈥檚 public scholarship effort, SPOKENproject. SPOKENproject is a filmmaking, digital storytelling platform that works to engage communities to cope with and heal from racism in a relevant, real-world way. Miller sees YouTube videos as a common way that everyday people connect, so he uses this platform to teach, validate, and empower diverse ways of handling racism and recovering from its negative effects.  

The inspiration for SPOKENproject came about when Miller felt his career success was not all that he wanted鈥揳s a scholar who cared deeply about equity and justice, Miller wanted to be helping others. After publishing a video about a former student鈥檚 experience surviving sexual assault, the positive feedback was wowing. It was clear that this project resonated with people, and that is exactly what Miller hopes to do through his work. 鈥淎ll of the time that I spend on research, I primarily focus on doing SPOKENproject and related work,鈥� says Miller. 

When he鈥檚 not devoting his time to his research work, Miller collaborates with colleagues and students; at the back of his mind, he focuses on unlearning systems of oppression that perpetuate injustice. Miller also incorporates messages of his unlearning with his students in the classroom. 鈥淏y modeling that and talking about my own trajectory as a scholar and an academic, I try to help students see if they have similar experiences and could have similar questions or approaches to conversations,鈥� says Miller. 鈥淚 try to give my students proactive permission to question everything they鈥檙e hearing鈥搃ncluding the things I鈥檓 saying鈥揳nd put it through the critical lens to see if there are concerns. If students are doing that, I consider that a successful outcome.鈥� 

Miller is not alone in recognizing the importance of justice. Tiffany Fang, a doctoral candidate in counseling psychology, works with Miller, her advisor, on the SPOKENproject. 鈥淲e interview a lot of people to learn about how they cope with racism and how they find hope with everything that鈥檚 going on,鈥� says Fang.  

Along with the SPOKENproject, Fang has also used writing to integrate her knowledge of psychology and racism. Her op-ed piece, 鈥淭he killing of 6 Asian women in Atlanta rocked me. I know where that animus comes from,鈥� was published in the Chicago Tribune in February 2022 to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Atlanta spa shootings. 鈥淚t was something that was in my mind and on my heart, so it wasn鈥檛 hard to write,鈥� says Fang.  

After being published in the Chicago Tribune, Fang also filmed a video of her reading her work for SPOKENproject. The piece circulated and spread her powerful message remembering the tragic event and how it impacted her. 鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely something that I鈥檓 really proud of,鈥� says Fang. 

At the School of Education, Fang has learned to think systemically鈥搖nderstanding that societal systems are to blame for issues of oppression and prejudice, rather than a single individual. This has been a beneficial lesson learned throughout her education.  

Fang also credits Loyola鈥檚 faculty as playing an integral role in her commitment to social justice. 鈥淎ll of our faculty are people of color who are actively engaged in social justice. Having access to people who have been doing this work for a long time has been invaluable,鈥� says Fang.  

The tremendous work being done within the School of Education is shedding important light on the necessary changes that face today鈥檚 society. Loyola is an institution that promotes education as a tool that changes lives and creates a more just world; it is clear that the School of Education is doing exactly that.   

To read Fang鈥檚 op-ed in the Chicago Tribune, click . 

To learn more about SPOKENproject, click . 

Story by Kate Roudebush