James DeLong is the recipient the 2016 Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Volunteer Recognition Award for the UW School of Social Work.
DeLong first joined the UW in the late 1970s as a graduate student earning his Master in Social Work degree. Since then, he has been a practicum coordinator, a classroom lecturer, a program director and a beloved mentor for faculty, staff and students. Over the course of four decades, he has exemplified the principles that the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Volunteer Recognition Award embodies.
DeLong has devoted his career to educating and supporting the education of social workers serving our most vulnerable populations. In the classroom, he has specialized in teaching courses that explore the intersections of power, privilege and oppression. He is also currently the adviser for the student-led Anti-Racist White Allies Group (ARWAG), devoting significant time and energy to help students reflect on complex racial issues. As an administrator, DeLong directed the School’s MSW Extended Degree Program for over two decades. His program leadership contributed to the successful graduation of more than a thousand social workers, each committed to improving the human condition.
DeLong has been a vocal feminist and has both led and participated in many men’s groups to dismantle patriarchy. His energy matches his commitment, passion and belief that we all have a responsibility to create a more just society. This commitment to addressing the legacies of colonialism, racism and exploitation can also be found in two School of Social Work endowments that DeLong and his partner, Janet, established: one for social workers committed to working with African-American communities, and one for social workers committed to working in tribal communities.
Please join us at the Celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Life and Legacy to honor DeLong and all the award recipients on Wed., Jan. 13, 2016, from 11:30 a.m to 1:30 p.m. at Warren G. Magnuson Health Sciences Lobby, Health Sciences Center.
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