Social Justice: Meaning and Historical Perspective

A Child Sharing

It is a day before we celebrate Thanksgiving Day. Families and friends have started their preparation for the gathering of family and friends. It will be a day filled with many hands working together to create meals that are reflective of the joy the feel of being with loved ones as they count their blessings.

Then on Thursday, visitors will be welcomed.  An appreciation of all effort by the homeowners will be expressed. The conversations will begin with the usual greetings that include hugs and kisses. There will be shared memories, laughter, jokes as they share their meal.  Afterwards more memories and jokes are shared as well as some games played. The air energized by all the love that any one room can hold will be shared by all.

When the day ends, the visitors will go home filled with a renewed sense of family togetherness, especially after a shared meal cooked with love. The family that held the gathering may or may not clean up that same evening. Happily, satisfied, they may leave it for the next day. Or, as some who enjoy waking up to a clean kitchen and dining area, will do the dishes, feeling happy that in the morning they can just make breakfast and relax. It doesn’t matter, really, which option each family takes. A shared meal has been had and love and joy have been shared.

For millions of people, they will get up early on Thanksgiving and volunteer to help feed the hungry during lunch. They may go as a family or individually. They will bring their love to those in need. Some of these volunteers will take the time to speak to those who come in for a home made meal. They will make these people, who have been overlooked, neglected and, probably, abused, feel welcomed and loved.

Then these volunteers will go home, get ready to either have their Thanksgiving meal with the family or they will go to a restaurant to celebrate the day with family and friends.

At the end of the day, their spirit and heart will be filled with satisfaction and thankfulness knowing that they have made others happy.

That is part of what social justice includes, helping, sharing, loving. No more, no less.

I am sharing the attached from October 2024 in Brittanica. It provides some interesting historical background that I though

“Social justice is both a theoretical concept and a practical ideal—an object of social-scientific and philosophical understanding and debate as well as a real-world goal of social and political reform movements.”

“According to some interpretations, social justice also encompasses, among other conditions, the equal opportunity to contribute to and to benefit from the common good, including by holding public office (such readings are sometimes referred to as “contributive justice”).”

https://www.britannica.com/topic/social-justice