Reboot: Leading by Listening and Doing with Dr. Phyllis West

Teaching and Leading with Dr. Amy and Dr. Joi

In this episode, we talk to Dr. Phyllis West, Director of the Social Justice Initiative at Governors State University. Dr. West discusses the importance of listening for opportunities, being curious, and doing what may seem most challenging. She talks about staying connected with friends, family, and teachers from her youth and shares the lasting power of words, particularly from her 3rd and 4th grade teachers, that shaped who she would become. We also discuss the mission and vision for the Social Justice Initiative with its first tremendous step to coordinate a legal clinic.

Referenced in this podcast:

• Social Justice Initiative | Governors State University - The SJI’s mission is to transform vulnerable populations, racial and economic injustice, and structural and social barriers of underrepresented individuals, families, and communities in the Southland and in the State of Illinois. SJI’s goal is to address these social conditions through the utilization of research, policy, advocacy, restorative justice, and experiential learning.
• Legal Clinic | Governors State University - The GSU Self-Help Legal Assistance Clinic (GSU-LC) provides free self-help legal assistance and non-legal resources to low-income Illinois residents using the court system without legal representation, understand and navigate the legal system. At the clinic, a team of attorneys, social workers, and volunteers work together under the supervision of a licensed attorney and social worker to increase access to legal services in underrepresented communities.