Origins of opportunity, part 1: The formation of CSWE’s minority research fellowship program, 1954–1978
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2025
Journal articles
Harty, J. S., BlackDeer, A. A., Schiele, J. H., Francis, E. A., & Washington, D. M. Origins of opportunity, part 1: The formation of CSWE’s minority research fellowship program, 1954–1978. Journal of Social Work Education, 61(S1), S4-S20.
@article{harty2025d, title = {Origins of Opportunity, Part 1: {The} Formation of {CSWE}’s Minority Research Fellowship Program, 1954–1978}, author = {Harty, Justin S.} and BlackDeer, Autumn Asher and Schiele, Jerome H. and Francis, E. Aracelis and Washington, Durrell M.}, date = {2025}, journaltitle = {Journal of Social Work Education}, shortjournal = {J. Soc. Work Educ.}, volume = {61}, number = {S1}, pages = {S4-S20}, doi = {10.1080/10437797.2024.2407826}, }
Abstract
This paper explores the historical development of the Council on Social Work Education's (CSWE) Minority Fellowship Program (MFP), coinciding with the 50th anniversary of its research fellowship. By leveraging archival CSWE materials like meeting minutes, reports, letters, and newsletters, it chronicles key events from 1954 that culminated in the MFP's creation in 1973 and extends to the third research fellowship cohort in 1978, just before the introduction of the second clinical fellowship. The paper details the challenges and milestones that shaped early initiatives for diversity and inclusion within social work education. It offers a reflective examination of the MFP's inception, tracing the advocacy and structural changes within the CSWE and broader social movements that culminated in the creation of the MFP and its sustained impact on the profession. Established to address the underrepresentation of minorities in social work education, the MFP was designed to develop researchers and practitioners of color attuned and responsive to the varied needs of their communities. This paper not only enriches the social work historical record but also highlights the transformative impact of the MFP in cultivating a profession that truly reflects and effectively serves our racially and ethnically diverse society.