The Social Justice Center (SJC) was formed in 1981 by an alliance of nonprofit activist organizations in order to provide a central location, office space, and basic services for activist groups in Albany, New York. The SJC was originally known as the Social Action Center, but the name was changed sometime in the late 1980s. Both names were used interchangeably for a period of time. The first product of the alliance was the Unity Statement, which laid out the goals and philosophy of the SJC. Groups in agreement with the Unity Statement were able to join the SJC and receive inexpensive office space and services. Membership varies, but currently there are around twenty member groups.

The functioning of the Center was originally overseen by the Coordinating Committee, which was composed of one representative from each member group. The Coordinating Committee was responsible for accepting or denying groups, setting policy, hiring staff and creating subcommittees for handling finances or performing certain projects. It was later decided that a more formal board was needed, and in 1996 a Board of Directors was formed from progressive members of the community. The Center currently employs a director, Victorio Reyes.

The center initially leased property and was eventually able to purchase and renovate a building in downtown Albany at 33 Central Avenue. The grand opening of this building was in April 1987. The storefront of the building is occupied by Peace Offerings, a gift shop and project of the Social Justice Center. Billed as The Store with a Social Conscience, Peace Offerings buys products from artisan collectives in developing countries and its sales directly fund the SJC. The store first opened in 1984 as a fundraiser during the Christmas holiday season. It was successful enough that in 1989 it became a permanent, yearround store. Peace Offerings is staffed by two parttime employees, a manager and a bookkeeper. The Social Justice Center and Peace Offerings combined operate with over sixty volunteers.

Other projects of the Center include the Dismantling Racism project, which sponsors workshops to address the roots of racial prejudice, the PCB/Environmental Health project, which works to educate the community about potential toxins, and the Infoshop, a lending library that stocks progressive periodicals and books.

The founding groups of the SJC include the Albany Peace and Energy Council, the Committee for a New Korea Policy, the New York State Citizens Party, Rights for American Indians Now, and the Knolls Action Project. Since its founding, the center has housed a number of organizations, including Campus Action, the National Lawyers Guild, Citizens Environmental Coalition, New York Bicycling Coalition, the Homeless Action Committee, and the Institute for Farmworker Justice.

Several collections in the M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives provide further information about the issues of concern to the Social Justice Center. For a complete list of related collections see the subject guides for Conservation and the Environment, African American and Civil Rights Organizations, Human Sexuality and Gender Identity, Social Activists and Public Advocates, and Women. Of particular note are the collections of organizations and individuals which were members of the Social Justice Center or worked with the SJC on projects. These collections include the records of Citizens Environmental Coalition (APAP197), Campus Action (APAP164), Knolls Action Project (APAP105), Capital District Coalition Against Apartheid and Racism (APAP011), Save The Pine Bush (APAP125), New York Coalition For Alternatives to Pesticides (APAP151), ACT UP Albany (APAP106), the Capital District Committee For Palestinian Rights (APAP163), Tom Nattell (APAP191) who was a founding member of the Albany Peace and Energy Council, and Lawrence Wittner (APAP100) of the Democratic Socialists of America and other organizations.