Advocating the “bystander approach” commonly used in anti-bullying campaigns, Dr. Jackson Katz spoke with students this fall, encouraging everyone to use their voices against issues of gender violence. Dr. Katz co-founded the Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) program at Northeastern University’s Center for the Study of Sport in Society. The program initially focused on involving college and professional athletes, given the potential there as a positive leadership platform. Today, MVP is the most widely used gender violence prevention program in college and professional athletics, implemented by teams in the NFL, NBA and in Major League Baseball. Dr. Katz earned a master’s from Harvard Graduate School of Education and a doctorate in cultural studies and education from UCLA. An activist, author and filmmaker, he also maintains a blog about masculinity and politics for The Huffington Post.
“Gender is a central, organizing principle of human society. It affects all of us. If you are in a position to speak up in the face of social injustice, then you need to speak up. If you say nothing, what are you saying by your silence?”