Martin Richard Institute for Social Justice

A Catalyst for Social Justice

The mission of the Martin Richard Institute for Social Justice is to build knowledge about social justice, to develop skills for advancing social justice through individual and collective action, and to serve as a catalyst for actualizing Bridgewater State University’s commitment to social justice.

At BSU, we believe that social justice requires individual and collective action to ensure fairness in pursuit of opportunities, freedom from oppression and the equitable distribution of resources. Fairness, freedom from oppression and equitable distribution of resources are all grounded in the same basic principle: that all human beings have equal dignity and worth.

The Institute for Social Justice was established in 2011 and renamed in honor of Martin Richard in 2015. Eight year old Martin was one of three people killed, while hundreds of others were injured, by bombs at the Boston Marathon in 2013. Martin’s parents, Bill and Denise Richard, are BSU alumni.

Upcoming Events

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Featured Opportunities

Blood Drive

Every 2 seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood or platelets.

That's why MRISJ teamed up to sponsor a blood drive with the Rhode Island Blood Center on campus at BSU on November 20th. Students, faculty and staff were among the many folks who helped us fill appointments and make a difference for patients who rely on blood donations.

Stay tuned for more information about upcoming blood drives and opportunities to learn about bone marrow donation with Be the Match.

Justice by Means of Democracy: A Conversation with Danielle Allen

MRISJ and the Office of the President were pleased to welcome Dr. Danielle Allen as our first Civic Speaker of the year on Tuesday, October 29th.

Author and Director of Harvard Kennedy School’s Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation, Dr. Allen joined us to discuss the critical need for young people to be engaged with democracy & the importance of civic education in developing active citizens.

Stay tuned for more information on our next Civic Speaker Series event on Thursday, January 30th with Sarah Elizabeth Lewis!

MRISJ thanks Santander Bank for its generous support of our Civic Speaker Series.

Our Programs

Community Service

The Martin Richard Institute for Social Justice encourages members of the Bridgewater State University community to become life-long engaged citizens in our local, regional, national and global communities through serving their community.

MRISJ Justice Fellows

MRISJ Justice Fellows are undergraduate students, hired as BSU student employees, and work 10 hours per week throughout the academic year. Fellows are paired with a nonprofit organization or campus-based initiative.