MOVING INTO ACCOUNTABILITY, INCLUSION AND EQUITY
TOGETHER
ABOUT
Social Justice @ Work
In 2012, friends and fellow educators Dr. Jackson Matos and Bee Buehring co-founded Social Justice @ Work to engage educational communities in explorations of identity, oppression and liberation. Jackson and Bee have since brought their professional experience, academic research, and personal passion into dozens of dialogues, lectures, trainings, and workshops for student leaders, teachers, administrators, and advisors.
Building identity awareness and analyzing the everyday dynamics of oppression. Unlearning biases and harmful messages of dominance and inferiority. Nurturing allyship. Being strategic, mindful, and effective agents of change. Navigating identity-based conflicts. Facilitating difficult dialogues. Designing inclusive curriculum. Committing to structural change aimed at righting society's wrongs. Healing communities through accountability and action.
This is Social Justice @ Work in education.
Jackson Matos
(He/Him)
A native of New Jersey, moved to Massachusetts to attend Smith College as a first-generation student. There, he earned his B.A. in English Literature and Literature and discovered his passion for education. He returned to Smith to earn an M.A.T. and holds Massachusetts State Certification in secondary education as an English teacher. Jackson holds a doctorate in education with a concentration in social justice education from UMass Amherst. At UMASS, he learned Intergroup Dialogue from Dr. Ximena Zúñiga, an international expert on Intergroup Dialogue. He has taught at UMass Amherst, Our Lady of the Elms, and the Smith School for Social Work. Jackson is currently an Assistant Professor in Psychology and Education at Mount Holyoke College, and his research focuses on two areas. In the first, he examines the impact and possibilities on social justice in education. In the second, he researches the assets that Latinx students, families, and communities bring to education. His book, La Familia and Other Secret Ingredients to Latinx Student Success, explores the profound impact of Latinx parents on educational experiences and was published by Peter Lang, Inc. in 2019. Jackson lives in Massachusetts.
Bee Buehring
(They/Them)
Bee specializes in training social justice peer educators and cross-identity dialogue facilitators. They hold a certification in Social Justice Mediation, which was an invaluable skill set during the two decades they worked as a college student affairs administrator. Bee also has an undergraduate degree in Film and Studio Art from Southern Methodist University and a M.Ed. in Counselor Educator from North Carolina State University with a research focus in LGBTQIA+ student services. Bee’s research interests include: designing awareness and accountability curricula for white people committed to racial justice, assessing institutional equity in higher education, building affirming campuses for transgender and non-binary students, and incorporating the creative arts, somatic healing arts, and mindful embodiment practices into social justice education. Bee grew up in rural southern Texas and now lives in Connecticut.