Journal of Social Equity and Public Administration

Power, Policy, and the People:

Building a Higher Ed Model Rooted in Credible Messengers

Jamila T. Davis

The Institute for Research in Social Justice in Action

https://orcid.org/0009-0003-8819-1138

Angelo Pinto

The Institute for Research in Social Justice in Action

Roseanne M. Mirabella

Kean University

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24926/jsepa.v4i2.6942

Keywords: Community-University Partnerships, Social Justice, Credible Messengers, Violence Prevention, Trauma Recovery

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Abstract

This article explores the emergence of a transformative higher education model—The Community Practitioner Certification Program (CPCP)—which places credible messengers, system-impacted leaders, and grassroots organizers at the center of public policy education, unique in its merging of lived experience with academic scholarship to redefine who holds expertise and how learning is delivered. What began as an experimental course in one university evolved into a multicity national initiative housed under the Institute for Research for Social Justice in Action (IRSJA) with programming now operating in several urban locations. This article traces the origin story of CPCP, the collaborative design of its curriculum, and its impact in reshaping the relationship between communities and institutions of higher learning. With a focus on healing, power-building, and liberation through education, this work offers a new blueprint for what higher education can become when the people are positioned as professors.

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Author Biographies

Jamila T. Davis, The Institute for Research in Social Justice in Action

Dr. Jamila T. Davis (she/her) (jamiladavis06811@gmail.com) is Executive Director of the Institute of Research for Social Justice in Action dedicated to dismantling the trauma-to-prison pipeline and advancing community-led solutions to systemic inequities. After serving nine years in prison, she created the Voices of Consequences Enrichment Series, which was adopted by the Bureau of Prisons.

Angelo Pinto, The Institute for Research in Social Justice in Action

Angelo Pinto (he/him) (angelopinto720@gmail.com) is a critical voice in the fight for social change and a leader who has created prolific impact, built movement institutions, and played a pivotal role in creating and elevating key movement issues. He co-founded Until Freedom, an intersectional social justice organization pivotal in the fight for Justice for Breonna Taylor.

Roseanne M. Mirabella, Kean University

Roseanne M. Mirabella, PhD, (she/her) (rmirabel@kean.edu) is an Associate Professor at Kean University, where she conducts research on education for managers of nonprofits and NGOs and also critical perspectives on nonprofit organizations. She is co-editor of the Handbook of Critical Perspectives on Nonprofit Organizing and Voluntary Action, a comprehensive survey of critical scholarship within the field. (Corresponding author)

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