MSJI Program Structure
The McLaughlin Social Justice Institute of Lasallian Practice (MSJI) is a two-week intensive academic, community, and field experience program hosted at Christian Brothers University where students will learn how their own social identities impact their engagement with others. The MSJI Program structure blends classroom instruction, visits from leading experts in law and medicine, and trips throughout the Memphis community, wherein students will learn about issues pertaining to social justice and inequity, particularly for people living in poverty and on the margins. Two sessions will engage participants from across the United States in an exciting, life-changing opportunity to immerse oneself in learning about some of the most critical issues of our day such as generational poverty and homelessness, food scarcity, challenges faced by immigrants, and inequity in education and healthcare.
About the MSJI Program Structure
Field Experience: See History Be Made Every Day
At the McLaughlin Social Justice Institute, you won’t just learn in the classroom; you’ll be exposed to Memphis’s rich history and culture through visits to cultural centers and organizations on the front lines of transformational social justice efforts. Visits included in the MSJI Program structure include Memphis’s Church Health medical clinic and Porter Leath. You will also travel to the historic Orange Mound and Binghampton neighborhoods near the Christian Brothers University campus to learn from vibrant community leaders making a daily difference in people’s lives, even in the face of great challenges.
The MSJI Program structure also includes visits to these Memphis landmarks:
- National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel
- Catholic Charities of West Tennessee
- Porter-Leath
- Elmwood Cemetery, est. in 1852
- Slave Haven Underground Railroad Museum
- Auction Square, site of the first food market in Memphis
Learn From Nationally Recognized Experts
- The Midwest Province of the Christian Brothers (Burr Ridge, IL); Brother Michael Fehrenbach, Provincial Visitor
- Catholic Charities of West Tennessee; Kiki Hall, Interim Executive Director
- Church Health Medical Clinic, Nutrition and Wellness Education; G. Scott Morris, MD, MDiv, Chief Executive Officer
- Tatine Darker, JD, Immigration Attorney
- St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Dr. Daniel Mulrooney, MD (Pediatric Oncologist)
Experience Memphis: A City with Soul
Memphis may be known as the home of the blues and the birthplace of rock ‘n roll, but its soul runs deep as a city steeped in our nation’s fight for equity and justice for all. It is a city that faces tremendous challenges of generational poverty and racial discrimination, yet it is a hopeful city with grit and zeal. Come visit Beale Street to hear world class music and enjoy famous Memphis BBQ but also come to this dynamic city on the banks of the Mississippi River where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s fight for equality, justice, and loving communities carries on.
Academic Emphasis: Earn Three Credits in Two Weeks!
Catholic Social Teaching and Themes from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
- Life and Dignity of the Human Person
- Call to Family, Community, and Participation
- Rights and Responsibilities
- Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
- The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers
- Solidarity
- Care for God’s Creation
About Brother Terence McLaughlin, FSC
The McLaughlin Social Justice Institute of Lasallian Practice is named in honor of Brother Terence McLaughlin, who taught in and led Christian Brothers high schools and Christian Brothers University (where he served as president in 1962-64) for more than 55 years before retiring to Memphis in 2000. In 1963, he made history by integrating Christian Brothers High School years before any other all-white high school in Memphis — public or private. Nearing 100, Brother Terence still inspires all in the Lasallian community with his dedication to education and his faithful service.
