Championing
for Justice & Equity
Featured Event
10/25/22: Unclog Student Debt From Your Talent Pipeline
The impact of student debt reaches far beyond its holders.
In the seventh installment of our Championing for Justice & Equity series, we examined the effects of student debt on organizations, its employees, and profits.
Our panel of financial experts, social justice researchers, and company leaders explored the history and racial context around the student debt crisis, and shared solutions for students, professionals, and employers to manage, attack, and ultimately dismantle student debt.
This event has concluded. Explore our resources and recommendations.
Coming Soon: CJE Publication
We're l
ooking forward to more Advancing Equity opportunities. Stay tuned for our upcoming digital publication showcasing the first seven events of our CJE Series!
Championing for Justice & Equity (CJE) is:
A 3-year conversation on race, justice, and systemic inequity;
A program that empowers you to take transformative action within your organization;
An education, a look in the mirror, and a path forward.

"We have an opportunity to redesign long-held systems that have failed People of Color for centuries."
- Dr. Angela Jackson,
Managing Partner, New Profit.
For People of Color and first-generation individuals, systemic barriers exist that block access to high quality education, mentoring, opportunities for growth, and networks.
These barriers extend into the professional world, even within the most forward-thinking and in-tune organization.
It's time to fundamentally reimagine how companies and organizations work while attracting and retaining diverse talent.
Let's build inclusive, anti-racist organizations that positively interact with their communities and contribute to a more-equitable society.
Thank You For Supporting CJE
2022 Sponsors

Past Event:
Advancing Equity in Mental Health
In our sixth iteration of our Championing for Justice and Equity (CJE) series, we continued our discussion on racial inequity in the American healthcare system, turning our focus to Mental Health.
With everything going on in America right now, the need for equitable access to quality mental health care -- especially for our BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities -- has never been greater.
As Stacey Thompson, Summer Search's National Director of Learning & Development, puts it:
"Right now our country is on fire and our nervous systems are stressed... Even though our system is challenged and taxed right now, we can all embody and hold safe spaces for the people around us. That is life-changing."
About CJE
In 2020, we launched our Black Lives Matter Community Series to bring the Summer Search community together to heal, learn, and take action. That series has evolved into our CJE initiative.
Today, we present CJE as a series of provocative conversations around race, justice, and equity in an open and safe space. We gather to share and learn ways to become knowledgeable champions for change.
This three-year initiative is designed to:
- Support our larger community to gain greater understanding on inclusion, diversity, and innovation;
- Promote healing, minimize harm, and create a sense of belonging for all in the larger community;
- Work with experts in the larger community to build practices that deepen understanding of differences and further increase collaboration.
CJE Leadership


Sylvia Watts McKinney
Executive Director, Summer Search Philadelphia
215.399.9104