Director's Message
What It Means to DO Justice
When you hear the word justice, what comes to mind? Do you think of courts, lawyers, judges, or the justice system as a whole? Perhaps you think of the new Spider-Man movie (no spoilers, please!) or other superheroes who stop bad guys and save the day. In general, defining what justice is can be difficult. Over the past few years working on this team, I have become more reflective of not only what justice is, but what it means to DO justice. According to the dictionary, doing justice to something means “to treat or show (something or someone) in a way that is as good as it should be.” All people deserve respect, fairness and equity. We should always act in a way that does justice to the humanity of one another.
Justice is an action. Justice initiates social change in our institutions. Justice addresses the underlying root causes of our most complex challenges. Justice is the collective effort that we take to prevent unfairness and inequities from ever occurring. In the Division of Community Services, we do justice every day. Whether it is within our partnerships with the courts and jails to help find alternatives and support for system involved residents, or our efforts to make sure that victims of crime have access to trauma healing services, doing justice is a part of the fabric of this team.
As you read this month’s newsletter, I am hopeful that you are encouraged and inspired by the action of justice done year round by our own Shelby County Superheroes, the Division of Community Services. During this season and coming new year, it is a perfect time for us all to reflect on ways big and small to be just as actionable and to do justice within our own spheres of influence.
Happy Holidays,
Dorcas Young Griffin
Director of the Division of Community Services
Shelby County Government