In response to the questions about graduate student socialization raised by Hoffmann-Longtin et al. (2021), we draw inspiration from scholars who have argued that the goal of education is to integrate students into a democratic community and prepare them for social justice activism (e.g., Fassett & Warren, 2007; hooks, 1994). We argue that communication activism pedagogy and communication activism research (hereafter, “communication activism approaches” [CAA]) can be essential for responding to challenges related to recruiting and retaining graduate students (especially those from oppressed backgrounds), promoting effective teaching and mentoring of graduate students, and preparing graduate students for a range of careers inside and outside of academia.