Social Mobility
begins with your story.
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The Social Mobility Journal is a movement to galvanize resilient voices from low-income backgrounds through writing.
Featured Journal Entries
Storytelling Breaks Borders
Navigating childhood as an immigrant taught me to build an international family.
By Dallianny Perez Lantigua
The Identity In-Between
A life-long battle with intersectionality showed me that authenticity builds community.
By Pascual Ortiz
From Laundry Baskets to Law School
How a young girl traversed poverty to fight the criminal justice system.
By Kayla Peden
Maryland Disability Advocates Discuss Systemic Hardships and Self-Advocacy
Meet the leadership team of disability self-advocacy group People On the Go Maryland as they share challenges facing people with disabilities in employment, healthcare, and A.I.–plus what their organization is doing to fight back.
By Grace Yetter"Writing about my life and neighborhood was the therapy I never knew I needed."
- SMJ Writer, 2025
"Social mobility begins with telling your story. SMJ is the platform to strategize social mobility on a community level."
- SMJ Board Member
"We're gathering the next generation of journalists dedicated to economic and social justice."
- Toni LaBarbara, Chief-Storyteller