The John Perkins Center at Seattle Pacific University was founded in 2004 with the goal of cultivating students into leaders within the contexts of justice, racial reconciliation, and Christian community development. SPU strives to equip students with the skills to become diverse leaders who work to improve the wholeness and wellness of the communities in which they live. The center is also part of an interdisciplinary research facility at the university, seeking to comprehend structural disparities and methods to overcome these differences.