Community-Engaged Scholarship and Transformative Policy Practice

• In Event: Advancing Justice Education: The HBCU Criminal Justice Workgroup's Mission and Strategic Initiatives

Abstract

This presentation examines the intellectual foundations of public scholarship and social justice advocacy within the HBCU tradition, exploring the methodological convergence of rigorous research, community engagement, and policy advocacy in advancing equity within criminal justice systems. With an analytical focus on police accountability mechanisms, race-conscious research methodologies, and community-based partnership models, the presentation synthesizes insights from two decades of empirical work with law enforcement agencies, governmental institutions, and advocacy organizations. The analysis will highlight how HBCUs consistently produce scholar-activists who conceptualize and implement innovative, justice-centered approaches to address systemic challenges, demonstrating the distinctive contribution of HBCU-based scholarship to academic discourse and practical reform.

Author

• Kideste Yusef, HBCU Criminal Justice Workgroup / Bethune Cookman University