Meanings Matter: The Relationship Between Constitutional Values and Social Justice

Abstract

Social upheavals are punctuation marks in the progression toward social equity. The American democratic mythos has evolved since the first days of the republic. Those who were ‘in the room’ when the Constitution was signed drove the interests that were represented and protected. Those in the room now are different, infusing old words with new meanings. Today’s fissured political culture, combined with the ripple effects of a global pandemic, offer another upheaval and create the opportunity to impel social justice. The ongoing process of meaning-making transforms power and advantage. This essay urges public service professionals to adopt a message that champions the mythos while acknowledging lived reality.

Social Equity in Public Administration: Past, Present, and the Future

“…Although JPNA has always been dedicated to publishing articles that address any number of inequities in the public and nonprofit sectors, the Social Equity Section is a supplemental and dedicated outlet for this important work to disseminate topics commonly discounted in government and nonprofit affairs scholarship, as well as emerging social equity issues (Carroll, 2021). Since its inception, articles in the new Social Equity Section have included topics such as expanding sick leave during a global pandemic (Rauhaus & Johnson, 2021), reintegration programs and services for Black female parolees in Alabama (Moorer, 2021), increasing access to public administration research for individuals with disabilities (Allgood, 2021), appropriate terminology usage for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual plus (LGBTQIA+) communities (Meyer & Milleson, 2022), a historical analysis of American constitutional values and democratic beliefs toward social equity progression (Trochmann & Guy, 2022), a call for political action on gun control by the professional sports industry (Thomas & Levine Daniel, 2022), digital inequities in community revitalization (Marshall, 2023), and understanding the "B" in #Black Lives Matter (Houston & Krinch, 2023). They represent a broad array of emerging topics and much-needed discourse in social equity and public administration scholarship.…”

Social Equity, Intellectual History, Black Movement Leaders, and Marcus Garvey

“…Public administration's pre-1950s intellectual history in the United States is largely centered upon White men: Woodrow Wilson, Leonard White, Frederick Taylor, Luther Gulick, Dwight Waldo, Paul Appleby, and Herbert Simon, among others. While there are calls to reconsider social equity's disciplinary history (e.g., Blessett 2015; Blessett et al, 2016; Blessett et al, 2019; Blessett & Gaynor, 2021; Emas et al, 2022; Gaynor and Schachter 2014, Gooden 2015a; Guy & McCandless, 2012; Moloney & Lewis, 2023; Roberts 2020; Trochmann & Guy 2022; Wright et al, 2022), more can be done.…”

Issue Introduction

“…In this issue's Social Equity section, Trochmann and Guy (2022) offer an historical analysis of American constitutional values and democratic beliefs and how they mark the progression toward social equity. By recognizing the current political climate of divisiveness, the authors emphasize the importance of messaging from public service professionals that is relevant for the challenges of today in order to bring about necessary social change.…”